(and I Dare You to Disagree)I confess that I hate when people disagree with me. For me, the stress of thinking that I might be incorrect gives me the willies. Admitting I might be wrong? O.M.G.I also confess that I have shut people down here and there. Being a big cheese at my place affords me the opportunity to do just that. But is this the right culture to promote if we want to learn and grow? It sure doesn’t seem like the pundits or the politicians are interested in intellectual debate. We have all seen it … The conservative commentator strongly suggests a point of view. The liberal commentator suggests the conservative is incorrect. Actually, strike that. It’s not quite precise. One commentator directs a finger in the other’s face, indignantly pointing out that his opponent just crawled out from a rock. The other replies that his accuser became a Ph.D. by fraudulently submitting plagiarized papers. Pretty soon the discussion dissolves into a shouting match. Intelligent discussion is lost as two seemingly intelligent people resort to ad hominem attacks! Nothing new is revealed but the limits people will go to discredit another, even if one’s initial assertions are …read more
