Let me rephrase my stance on debate:
I want to be correct when I debate, which is why I defend my positions, but leave room to be wrong so I can further my understanding. Meanwhile you fear that being wrong will destroy your reputation and ego, so you defend it at all costs like it’s your religion or something.
Since you love bringing it up, let’s use your favorite talking point that “DEI is discrimination.” I’ve heard all your points before, and their counterarguments, as well as your counters to my arguments. Believe me, my position on it used to be just the same as yours, until I allowed myself to be wrong and hear the other side out.
For example, your stance that “DEI is discrimination because it is skewed against white people.” Your argument there is flawed because there are several white people, like white women and white LGBTQ+ people, benefit from these policies.
Though in our argument, I suppose I haven’t described what exactly these policies are that we benefit from. One usually assume that it’s only for hiring purposes, but it actually extends far beyond that. They also fight wage gaps, authorize safe spaces for these marginalized groups in the work environment, and enforce Title XI protections that make work environments safer for everyone. To call these measures “discrimination” is misunderstanding the extent of how they help fight it.
You may not agree with every single DEI initiative, and neither do I. But it’s quite clear through your argument that you hate discrimination. So do I. Why not fight it together?