Whether it was high school, college or both, students used to be able to be part of a debate team. These teams would debate each other on a variety of topics, each vying to make the best argument and be declared the winner. I tend to think the idea of a debate team still exists; however, by the looks of social media or our society in general, you’d never know it.
We’ve increasingly become a binary society. Our reliance on computers and all things data has placed our values and emotions into similar states of being. You’re either a “1” or a “0,” there is no in between. I’m right, you’re wrong, we’re not going to discuss the why. This line of thinking is not only uneducated, it’s highly destructive and acts as an impediment to progress.
One of the beauties of having friends are the similarities you share but also the differences they bring to your life. You’d of course need to have some things in common otherwise what would be the point of the friendship. And yet, having every single thing in common would be quite boring. Sharing experiences and hearing differing opinions from your own provides much needed perspective that would otherwise be missing if you were talking to yourself in the mirror.
You always hear people say, “avoid any talk about religion and politics.” I completely disagree. As long as you can be respectful of one another’s opinions on any matter, no subject is off limits. Why can’t a Christian have a conversation with an atheist? How about a Republican discussing current affairs with a Democrat? Think neither of these is possible? It’s very possible.
I have conversations like this on an almost daily basis. None of them end in shouting. They also very rarely end in changing anyone’s mind. That’s not the point.
The point or purpose is to hear what someone else has to say, even if whatever they’re saying differs from what you believe. I’d even say it’s more important that it does differ. This allows you to understand what the other person might be thinking rather than staying inside a bubble of your own making.
There’s no other place that this bubble is more prevalent than on social media. It’s incredibly easy to digitally bully someone. It’s another thing entirely to bully someone to their face. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not fond of confrontation. It’s not in my nature to be disliked or confront someone; however, I’d much prefer to speak with someone face to face rather than through the keystrokes of my laptop.
The media isn’t helping either. Their bias for one side or the other is obvious to the point of embarrassment. It’s human nature to favor one view over another; however, it should be the job of a journalist to keep what they truly think to themselves. Their job is to tell the news, as it happens, using facts and nothing else. Too often the facts are skewed to favor their own personal opinion, which serves zero purpose for the audience. Instead, the bias provides narratives for discussions that quickly turn into arguments amongst the populace.
Like it or not, we live in a world of grey. The complexity of our human condition opens an array of possibilities on a daily basis. What was once thought to be an immutable fact one day becomes a falsehood the next. Operating in the grey requires an openness and ability to see the world through the lens of others and not just your own. Whatever I believe may not be what you believe and that’s perfectly fine. I’m happy to discuss our differences in both a candid and pleasant manner.
At least we can all agree on one thing. Pizza is the best food ever invented.
Discuss.
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