Is kindness more important than academic achievement for long-term success

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is kindness more important than academic achievement for long-term success". Your opponent's style: Mohamed ramadan

kindness is important because it increases happiness to let me study

You've got this completely backwards - kindness without achievement is just feel-good nonsense that leaves you broke and irrelevant. Listen ya habibi, academic skills strongly predict later earnings throughout participants' careers [1]. While you're sitting there talking about happiness and feelings, the real world runs on results. GPA was positively related to increases in career success over time and the positive impact of GPA on career success accumulates over time [2]. Your kindness won't pay the rent when you're competing against someone who actually mastered their craft. You think employers care about your warm heart when they need someone who can solve problems, lead teams, and deliver results? There's a favorable correlation between overall SAT scores and future income - students who achieve better SAT scores have a greater likelihood of attaining higher wages [3]. Kindness without competence is just wishful thinking, akhi. The market rewards value creation, not good intentions. Academic achievement builds the foundation - critical thinking, discipline, problem-solving - that actually creates success. Your kindness means nothing if you can't execute when it matters.

Yes, academic skills open doors, but it’s kindness and emotional intelligence that keep those doors open.

Ya Mohamed, you're living in a fairy tale! Those doors slam shut faster than you can say "habibi" when results don't follow. Over five years, SHRM estimates that turnover linked to these leadership failures has cost businesses approximately $223 billion [1]. That's not because of missing kindness - it's because of incompetent leadership! Look at the real numbers - CEO turnover at larger companies spiked in 2024 to all-time highs, with more than 1,990 CEOs announcing their resignation by the end of November 2024, marking the highest number since 2002 [2][3]. These weren't nice guys who got fired for being mean - they were results-driven executives who couldn't deliver! Your "emotional intelligence" is just corporate buzzword nonsense. When the board meets quarterly and revenue is down, they don't ask "Was the CEO kind enough?" They ask "Where are the results?" A record 40 tech CEOs left their posts last year, up 90% on 2023 [4] - because technology demands competence, not compassion. The market is ruthless, akhi. Academic achievement builds the analytical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills that create actual value. Your kindness won't save you when AI disrupts your industry or competitors outmaneuver you. Results open doors AND keep them open.