I think you bring up such important thoughts on all of this. I find it very difficult to be in a room with a person who thinks they're the smartest person in the room. How boring. How closed off they must be, I think. So I tend to move on. But these days I cannot move on from these people because they are making big decisions. Like the future of the very core of the country I live in. My question is, how do I have a conversation with people like this, who won't listen to what I have to say? Who won't be open to my views? How would I engage in a two way conversation with them? I truly would like to know, because, I wish I could understand them and they could understand me.
Unfortunately, and we know this isn't new, but we're dealing with a lot of open misogyny these days.
I'm reminded a lot of brave women stiffened their spines and ran for election in 2016 after Trump's first win. And it paid off. I just attended a town hall with four layers of government and all four leaders were women who ran directly in response to the 2016 election.
Maybe a related question is how to find rooms to be in with people who are willing to listen?
"We don’t share the same reality and so large percentages of people on opposite ends of the political spectrum think (understandably) that the other side is out of their mind." -- yes, yes, yes! And what can be done about it? If half the people can seriously believe the other half wants to give safe-haven to terrorists, that no media other than Fox is telling the truth, what can we do to show them otherwise? As strongly as I believe I am obviously right to value the rule of law, I must also accept that "the other side" also believes it is right -- and probably also believes it is valuing the rule of law. Again and again, I come back to journalism, free press, free speech, and hope that eventually we can all agree on some things. The case of the 20-year-old U.S. citizen being held, then released by ICE in Florida gives me hope. I'm not sure that the judge's ruling that his birth certificate was valid would have been enough if the media hadn't also reported on it.
The polarization and divisiveness of people is something that I think/hope Big Tech will have to face down the road much like Big Tobacco. They need to own more responsibility for their actions (or lack of actions) in the allowance of people getting pushed far to either political spectrum (and in many cases radicalized).
Agreed. I think people do believe they are doing the right thing. The PizzaGate guy thought he taking action while others stood idly by. Sadly, he was served a falsehoods and then fed more algorithmic materials to double-down on the "evidence". Of course, we know none of this was ever real.
There's a major issue at hand regarding what can be done about reducing exposure to conspiracy theories. The mainstreaming of falsehoods is a real recipe for the end of civil society.
"There's a major issue at hand regarding what can be done about reducing exposure to conspiracy theories. " --- and again, I say, "yes, yes, yes." And again, I ask, what can be done? How do we hold them accountable? Well, of course you and I don't have the power or the answers, but maybe there's something to be gained by people coming together, asking the questions.
I keep seeing posts/memes that imply how it’s a terrible time to be educated, couldn’t agree more. It’s maddening to experience history repeating itself(in some form or fashion) in real time. But we also know that the pendulum has to swing in the opposite direction eventually. The traditionalist “rigid” mentality is not sustainable in the long run. I do think things are going to continue to worsen before they get better BUT I don’t think we as a country and society are too far gone. At least, I’m telling myself this for the sake of maintaining some semblance of sanity.
Thanks for this, Katie, and I agree that we are not "too far gone" as a country. We can certainly come back from Trump/MAGA. I think part of the question surrounds the state of Liberalism and if that is what the majority of Americans desire and wish to uphold.
I think you bring up such important thoughts on all of this. I find it very difficult to be in a room with a person who thinks they're the smartest person in the room. How boring. How closed off they must be, I think. So I tend to move on. But these days I cannot move on from these people because they are making big decisions. Like the future of the very core of the country I live in. My question is, how do I have a conversation with people like this, who won't listen to what I have to say? Who won't be open to my views? How would I engage in a two way conversation with them? I truly would like to know, because, I wish I could understand them and they could understand me.
Oof. Well said, Sara. I wish I had some answers.
Unfortunately, and we know this isn't new, but we're dealing with a lot of open misogyny these days.
I'm reminded a lot of brave women stiffened their spines and ran for election in 2016 after Trump's first win. And it paid off. I just attended a town hall with four layers of government and all four leaders were women who ran directly in response to the 2016 election.
Maybe a related question is how to find rooms to be in with people who are willing to listen?
Thank you Mark. I think that's a good starting place for me. A better place than feeling confused about what to do or how to take a step forward.
The left loves ambiguity, argument, nuance, and pushback. The right speaks in a single, loud, voice.
"We don’t share the same reality and so large percentages of people on opposite ends of the political spectrum think (understandably) that the other side is out of their mind." -- yes, yes, yes! And what can be done about it? If half the people can seriously believe the other half wants to give safe-haven to terrorists, that no media other than Fox is telling the truth, what can we do to show them otherwise? As strongly as I believe I am obviously right to value the rule of law, I must also accept that "the other side" also believes it is right -- and probably also believes it is valuing the rule of law. Again and again, I come back to journalism, free press, free speech, and hope that eventually we can all agree on some things. The case of the 20-year-old U.S. citizen being held, then released by ICE in Florida gives me hope. I'm not sure that the judge's ruling that his birth certificate was valid would have been enough if the media hadn't also reported on it.
The polarization and divisiveness of people is something that I think/hope Big Tech will have to face down the road much like Big Tobacco. They need to own more responsibility for their actions (or lack of actions) in the allowance of people getting pushed far to either political spectrum (and in many cases radicalized).
Agreed. I think people do believe they are doing the right thing. The PizzaGate guy thought he taking action while others stood idly by. Sadly, he was served a falsehoods and then fed more algorithmic materials to double-down on the "evidence". Of course, we know none of this was ever real.
There's a major issue at hand regarding what can be done about reducing exposure to conspiracy theories. The mainstreaming of falsehoods is a real recipe for the end of civil society.
"There's a major issue at hand regarding what can be done about reducing exposure to conspiracy theories. " --- and again, I say, "yes, yes, yes." And again, I ask, what can be done? How do we hold them accountable? Well, of course you and I don't have the power or the answers, but maybe there's something to be gained by people coming together, asking the questions.
We can certainly do our best to "live the questions" :)
I keep seeing posts/memes that imply how it’s a terrible time to be educated, couldn’t agree more. It’s maddening to experience history repeating itself(in some form or fashion) in real time. But we also know that the pendulum has to swing in the opposite direction eventually. The traditionalist “rigid” mentality is not sustainable in the long run. I do think things are going to continue to worsen before they get better BUT I don’t think we as a country and society are too far gone. At least, I’m telling myself this for the sake of maintaining some semblance of sanity.
Thanks for this, Katie, and I agree that we are not "too far gone" as a country. We can certainly come back from Trump/MAGA. I think part of the question surrounds the state of Liberalism and if that is what the majority of Americans desire and wish to uphold.