I've come to notice a commonality among many debates. When we talk about political parties, religious beliefs, scientific theories and current events, we tend to frame our debates as "Us versus them." The next time you hear yourself - or someone else - do this, stop for a second and think; "Who is 'them'?" Are they some evil, malicious organization hell-bent on destroying your beliefs? Are they cult members, aliens, or foreign government operatives? No. They are your next door neighbors. They are your co-workers and classmates. They could be members of your own family.
These people are not necessarily going to agree with you on your opinion. If you are an atheist, they may believe in God. If you are a democrat, they may be libertarian. If you believe in democracy, they may believe in communism. Regardless of their differences of opinion, they and their beliefs deserve respect equal to your own. Do not belittle them for what they think. Do not call them naive, infantile, or delusional. Do not call them backward. Instead, debate with them on this subject; if you care so much about your position, isn't it your duty to defend it?
Open intellectual debate should be encouraged in all subjects and in all schools of thought. After all, we are guaranteed by our constitution the freedoms of speech and press; we must exercise those freedoms whenever we deem necessary. It would be a rather boring state of affairs if everyone in a society agreed on the same issues, because there would be nothing to talk about! Argument is essentially a form of entertainment, and it's important to keep that in mind while you're in the middle of one, or you risk losing your head over trivial matters.
No comments:
Post a Comment