Cowards! All of you!

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I had a very tense conversation with someone and it was very odd. He was disagreeing with me.

Emotions were very tense, I was getting angry, I wasn't making my case because I was completely disarmed by conversing with someone who didn't just shut up when they didn't have the same opinion with me.

“Don't be offended” I reminded myself.

The entire interaction ended with us talking about other things, only for us to be at completely opposite ends of another topic moments later. And I reflected on this interaction, I came to realize how terrible the internet has ruined discourse.

I would be on chat with my friends, only for topics to become divisive and then silence. The seen message pops up and everybody turn into ghosts. Nobody wanted to stir the pot, argue, make valid points and come out learning more going out of the conversation than when they came in.

Now we walk on egg shells. We are careful of how we phrase our discussions, we try not to make anyone uncomfortable, we don't challenge people's opinion. Somehow the collective just decided that we should just let the other party to be ignorant just as long as there is peace.

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

What a load of shit.

JM and I are very different in terms of world view, so we don't always share the same opinion. When we have long conversations about politics, philosophy, and culture; we often end up in opposites sides of topic. This leads to an argument, and we exchange points and eventually end up in common ground. I found these arguments as amazing learning experiences that make me better in the end.

I just wish I had more conversations like this.

If I wanted an echo chamber, Reddit is full of threads that have dozens of same minded people parroting their thoughts. What I learned from my conversations with the person I mentioned earlier is that: even though we didn't end up in agreement, we can still be civil and continue talking. (He did make points that I had to research later, and I still think he is full of shit. But I like the idea that I can let him know that and we don't ignore each other days later)

And I believe more people need to talk normally again. Disagreement does not need to end up with destroyed relationships because I believe that the truth is worth some discomfort.

Socrates found the way to truth by asking questions. This became the basis of the scientific method, which is how society progressed the way that it has. A thesis must always have an antithesis. Any idea must be challenged. If the idea is strong, if the arguments for it are sound, then it must surely be truth.

That conversation reminded me of something I’d forgotten — that discomfort is a sign you’re actually thinking.

I don’t want every talk to end in agreement. I want it to end with both sides walking away sharper.

Silence might keep the peace, but only argument keeps us honest.


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