Yes, because it all about defeating me personally. Who cares if any ideas get challenged or examined. It's all about me knowing that I've been vanquished and that you get the last word. That's so important.
You're half correct. It is about defeating you, because of how you believe your ideas can be applied to the real world. But you're incorrect if you don't think it's about ideas. Because it is about ideas - very important ideas, and their need to be addressed and understood, in all their complexities and subtleties.