Debate motion Defend the indefensible
Hiccups are a hidden superpower
Hiccups are annoying, embarrassing, and impossible to control, so calling them a superpower is gloriously absurd. This motion invites playful but clever arguments about what counts as a power. The debate turns on whether something useless and involuntary can still be special, and how far you can stretch the idea of a hidden talent.
FOR Argue that the motion is right.
AGAINST Argue that the motion is wrong.
Arguments FOR
- Hiccups are completely unpredictable and impossible to fake well. A power that nobody can copy and that appears without warning sounds very much like a superpower.
- A sudden hiccup can break tension instantly. Arguments, awkward silences, and serious moments often dissolve into laughter, which is a rare social gift.
- Everyone around you tries to help, offering water, scares, and strange cures. Hiccups make strangers care about you, which is a kind of magnetic power.
- Most superheroes discover their powers as strange, uncontrollable quirks first. Hiccups may simply be a power humans have not learned to master yet.
Arguments AGAINST
- A superpower gives you an advantage. Hiccups interrupt your speech, ruin quiet moments, and leave you less capable, not more.
- Powers are usually controlled by the hero. Hiccups control you, arriving and leaving whenever they please, which makes them a weakness.
- Nobody has ever wished for hiccups. If something were truly a superpower, people would be trying to get it, not to cure it.
- Calling every odd body quirk a superpower makes the word meaningless. Sneezing and yawning would count too, and so would cramp.
Sample openers
FOREvery superhero has an origin story. Mine started with a fizzy drink and a sudden, mysterious hic.
AGAINSTNo superhero has ever saved the day by being unable to finish a sentence.
How a match plays
- Two sides. One debater argues FOR the motion and the other AGAINST, taking turns at two podiums: three rounds, or five in a full match.
- Eleven AI jurors. Each cares about something different, and some start out leaning one way. They switch sides as your arguments land. Win eight of them, or the final verdict.
- Your voice. When your turn starts, argue out loud, and the jury reacts to what you actually said. No mic? Type instead.
- Vera or a friend. Vera, our AI debater, takes the other side any time. Or send a friend a private code and argue it out live.
Questions
What is the strongest rebuttal to the tension-breaking argument?
Laughter is nice, but it is usually laughter at the person hiccupping, during a moment they wanted to get right. A power that embarrasses its owner is a curse in disguise. Ask your opponent to name one time hiccups helped someone win.
How do I win the jury on this motion?
Commit fully to the fun while keeping your logic tight. Set a clear definition of superpower and test hiccups against it. Jurors reward wit, creative examples, and direct rebuttals. They punish rambling that forgets the actual motion.
Is this good for a party or stream?
It is ideal. The motion is silly enough to get laughs instantly and open enough for creative arguments. It works for younger players too and rewards imagination over research.