I agree that it's a difficult one when you're asked to that the negative side for a topic like that.

The keyword to play with is 'mind'. How do you define mind? What is the limit of the mind? Are you sure it is the 'mind' that is broadened?

Then you can go on to rebut the common perceptions of how much the experience you get from one trip. It's usually exaggerated.

If the tourist is only concerned about shopping, does it actually broaden the 'mind'?

For the amount of time spent travelling, wouldn't it be better to watch documentaries or find information on the internet.

For the amount of money spent, wouldn't it be better to buy books on the subject?

Then you compare a tourist and a person who tries to find information from one location. For a fixed amount of time, how much information will the tourist and the other person get?

So you say that the attitude of a person is more important than the location/travelling.

This post has been edited by Thinkingfox: Aug 6 2009, 05:26 PM

I agree with Mumeichan that you should not expect to win this debate due to the awkward position in which you have been placed. I'm sure that the judges would understand that you're fighting a widely accepted premise, so I'm sure they'll cut you some slack.

Of course such rebuttals are to be expected. First hand experience does matter. But it depends on the person also. Some people might be absent-minded enough not to notice things even when they are on study trips. So probably you can shift the focus from the travelling to the person or something else.

If your opponents says travel in terms of non-long distance, it is to your advantage. How would a walk down a street be more enlightening than by watching a documentary? A documentary is an educational video that has been made and commented by experts, and involve a great number of people. Surely much thought has been put into the process of making it.

This post has been edited by Thinkingfox: Aug 6 2009, 09:58 PM

<<A little off-topic?>>
<<Attitude "might be" more important, but that isn't his topic of debate - traveling doesn't broadened the mind.>>
Well, as I said it's hard to win this argument as you're required to fight a widely accepted view, but of course you're still required to try to convince that there are flaws in the accepted view.

<<Shopping can expose one to many new things such as design, art, culture etc etc >>
Finding information online is much more efficient isn't it?

<<Isn't it better to experience it first hand? Most people enjoy adventure and dislike reading, heck some can't even read well. By the way, your point here contradicts the limit of the mind, is the mind broadened thing>>
True. But books and internet are not all words isn't it? In books there are diagrams and there's Youtube on the internet. I don't see how there's a contradiction. Do point it out to me. Thanks.

This post has been edited by Thinkingfox: Aug 6 2009, 11:48 PM