Disagree to Agree
We have more choices about most anything in our lives than we ever have had before. There is a niche for most everyone. The masses have the power to choose when, how, and what kind of information they will take in. Thinker and author Seth Godin wrote a book about this reality in his book titled Tribes.
While there are certain advantages to this new reality in our culture, there is also a dark side. Our ability to selectively choose what information we receive has lead many to limit the number of voices giving the information. Those that we do choose are often those with whom we already agree. This skews perspectives rather quickly.
Most information is tainted with bias. The news media is filled more with opinion and spin than ever before. As more people listen to only one side the spin they hear is mostly in one direction, and the perspective they see is from one place.
In this we become more isolated and spend our time with our tribe - the people who look, talk, and think like us. All of this leads to our attitudes and opinions being affirmed over and over again.
With this constant affirmation comes a tremendous increase in comfort. And we love comfort, don’t we? It seems that comfort - along with certainty and security - are our most deeply held values.
We have lost the desire (or perhaps the ability) to listen to someone who is not a part of our tribe and as a result have stunted our growth. We only give any real consideration to those with whom we agree. Why? Because it’s comfy and cozy.
This insular culture has reduced our capacity for critical thinking. We don’t have to think seriously about our beliefs and values anymore, because everyone in our controlled sphere that we call "our world" thinks and lives like us. Conversation is rarely a challenge to think or grow, but a time to reinforce deeply held beliefs rooted in biased perspectives.
And what happens when a person from outside our tribe breaks in and challenges our thoughts or beliefs? We attempt to destroy, not only the opposing argument, but the person posing the argument. Our narrow, one-sided way of living has threatened our ability to speak with respect, dignity, and civility.
It is commonplace to launch a violent, verbal barrage of shock and awe on those from a different tribe. When this happens our tribe applauds, because comfort has been successfully defended. And with so many cheering for this kind of toxic rhetoric, how could it possibly be wrong?
It is time to open the windows and unlock the doors of our stuffy little houses of opinion, and let in the fresh air of descent. This would be our first step toward the discovery of things in this world far greater than comfort and security. Perhaps, our first step is to disagree to agree with all of those who inform our world.