In childhood and early adulthood, there are plenty of people willing to share their advice about nearly everything in a youth’s life. Yet, it is somewhat rare to find an individual who not only offers their advice when it is applicable, but also exemplifies an upstanding citizen not only of their community, but also of humanity. I was fortunate enough to meet someone matching that description. His name is Scott Woodhouse, and he is my debate coach. I’ll forever be glad that, largely by chance, he was my advisory teacher, and was able to provide an example of devotion, thoughtfulness, and morality. When examining successful people, a common trait among them is a strong passion for what they love, and a desire to share that with the world.
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Woodhouse that I seek to emulate is his aspiration to be moral. In a world where people are commonly caught up in the crowd or the chase for success, it can be easy to forget, or even ignore, one’s conscience. If there is anything that I never want to be, it is someone who leaves a trail of misery and destruction in their wake on the way to their goal. Just like an athletic coach who demands sportsmanship from his players, Mr. Woodhouse makes it clear to all his debaters that the goal of debate is not to trick people into thinking one’s position is correct, but rather to reach the truth via careful reasoning. This philosophy lends itself to a comparison to Socrates and the Sophists. Socrates condemned the Sophists for teaching only rhetoric and not morality, but I think I can say with certainty that Socrates would be proud of Mr. Woodhouse and what he has taught me about ethics. It would be an understatement to say that Scott Woodhouse has had a meaningful impact on my life. He was instrumental in helping me develop from an arrogant young pedant into a refined intellectual. I owe him not just my desire to live a principled, fulfilling life, but also my ability to do so. It pains me to think of how I may otherwise have developed as an individual without Mr. Woodhouse’s guiding influence as a role model. Although Mr. Woodhouse is always willing to offer his advice, it is
Woodhouse that I seek to emulate is his aspiration to be moral. In a world where people are commonly caught up in the crowd or the chase for success, it can be easy to forget, or even ignore, one’s conscience. If there is anything that I never want to be, it is someone who leaves a trail of misery and destruction in their wake on the way to their goal. Just like an athletic coach who demands sportsmanship from his players, Mr. Woodhouse makes it clear to all his debaters that the goal of debate is not to trick people into thinking one’s position is correct, but rather to reach the truth via careful reasoning. This philosophy lends itself to a comparison to Socrates and the Sophists. Socrates condemned the Sophists for teaching only rhetoric and not morality, but I think I can say with certainty that Socrates would be proud of Mr. Woodhouse and what he has taught me about ethics. It would be an understatement to say that Scott Woodhouse has had a meaningful impact on my life. He was instrumental in helping me develop from an arrogant young pedant into a refined intellectual. I owe him not just my desire to live a principled, fulfilling life, but also my ability to do so. It pains me to think of how I may otherwise have developed as an individual without Mr. Woodhouse’s guiding influence as a role model. Although Mr. Woodhouse is always willing to offer his advice, it is