I'm inclined to agree. Not that you should never talk about politics, but probably only when it's going to be fruitful. The thing is, by avoiding talking about politics, you're not giving up on...
I'm inclined to agree. Not that you should never talk about politics, but probably only when it's going to be fruitful.
The thing is, by avoiding talking about politics, you're not giving up on politics entirely, due to the fact that everything is political. Bill Maher correctly points out that the weather is political these days. So is traffic. So is baseball. So is TV, etc. Whenever you're avoiding talking about politics, you're still indirectly talking about politics. The key is, when you're avoiding talking about politics, you're listening to someone's worldview and the foundation they've built upon to arrive at their political stance. Not that political ideologies are logical (they're very likely emotional), but they're still built on top of something. Often times, hearing about someone's life and the way they perceive the world is a lot more fruitful than going straight for top of the mountain (politics) and trying to work your way backwards.
Always seems weird to hear people say "don't bother, no one changes their mind" The majority of conversations irl and online lead me to feel otherwise.
Always seems weird to hear people say "don't bother, no one changes their mind"
The majority of conversations irl and online lead me to feel otherwise.
I find more often people just pretend to agree or change their minds as an out from a conversation they aren't enjoying. Check back later and they'll be saying the same things. It's depressing....
I find more often people just pretend to agree or change their minds as an out from a conversation they aren't enjoying. Check back later and they'll be saying the same things. It's depressing. Sometimes you'll find people who think critically and then there's a chance at a productive conversation, but oh so often it's just two people trying to score points for 'their' team, talking past each other.
Changing your mind is hard and it's truly not a natural act. It goes against instinct, and that means it's something you have to learn how to do, and it's no easy thing to reprogram yourself - plus, as the brain ages, you actually lose some of the physical capability to do this. If you haven't built up those circuits by the time you're hitting 40, it's going to be so much harder.
Learning how to put aside your own thoughts, empty your head, and then entertain a set of ideas that are not just foreign to you, but in direct competition with ideas you hold dear is a herculean act. If you do it often, though, it does get easier, and can even become somewhat trivial with years of practice. I think the world would be a far better place if we taught people how to do this as part of their primary education, when they are young, largely bias-free, and the circuits for this can form most easily. You never really see a 'critical thinking' class in grade school where it would do the most good. Most people only get exposed to it in college, if they go.
I find the easiest thing to do is to own your own biases. Rather than pretending they don't exist or that you can ignore them, stare them straight in the face and recognize them. Wear them like a badge of pride, but don't take them seriously. It makes it so much easier to notice when they start to interfere with your own thought process. :)
I'm inclined to agree. Not that you should never talk about politics, but probably only when it's going to be fruitful.
The thing is, by avoiding talking about politics, you're not giving up on politics entirely, due to the fact that everything is political. Bill Maher correctly points out that the weather is political these days. So is traffic. So is baseball. So is TV, etc. Whenever you're avoiding talking about politics, you're still indirectly talking about politics. The key is, when you're avoiding talking about politics, you're listening to someone's worldview and the foundation they've built upon to arrive at their political stance. Not that political ideologies are logical (they're very likely emotional), but they're still built on top of something. Often times, hearing about someone's life and the way they perceive the world is a lot more fruitful than going straight for top of the mountain (politics) and trying to work your way backwards.
Plus, it's more pleasant.
Always seems weird to hear people say "don't bother, no one changes their mind"
The majority of conversations irl and online lead me to feel otherwise.
I find more often people just pretend to agree or change their minds as an out from a conversation they aren't enjoying. Check back later and they'll be saying the same things. It's depressing. Sometimes you'll find people who think critically and then there's a chance at a productive conversation, but oh so often it's just two people trying to score points for 'their' team, talking past each other.
Changing your mind is hard and it's truly not a natural act. It goes against instinct, and that means it's something you have to learn how to do, and it's no easy thing to reprogram yourself - plus, as the brain ages, you actually lose some of the physical capability to do this. If you haven't built up those circuits by the time you're hitting 40, it's going to be so much harder.
Learning how to put aside your own thoughts, empty your head, and then entertain a set of ideas that are not just foreign to you, but in direct competition with ideas you hold dear is a herculean act. If you do it often, though, it does get easier, and can even become somewhat trivial with years of practice. I think the world would be a far better place if we taught people how to do this as part of their primary education, when they are young, largely bias-free, and the circuits for this can form most easily. You never really see a 'critical thinking' class in grade school where it would do the most good. Most people only get exposed to it in college, if they go.
I find the easiest thing to do is to own your own biases. Rather than pretending they don't exist or that you can ignore them, stare them straight in the face and recognize them. Wear them like a badge of pride, but don't take them seriously. It makes it so much easier to notice when they start to interfere with your own thought process. :)
As time goes on this is seeming more and more like the right approach. :P