On Diversity
Lately, I've seen friends delete friends on Facebook over differing political views. I've heard people say that they only read news from their political persuasion. I've also read story after story about how people live in echo chambers today, especially on social media.
I'd like to suggest that you keep the friends you disagree with, that you read news from sources you normally wouldn't, and diversify your friend group––whether that's in-person or online.
From the most selfish perspective, this kind of diversity would allow you to see how "the other side" feels about you or organizations you belong to, and you'd be able to formulate rebuttals and counterpoints. There's an even greater benefit, though: You might actually learn something about yourself and others. You might learn that you are wrong about something. You might learn that you are right about something but that your delivery is wrong. You might learn that someone from another perspective has a valid point and you shouldn't discredit everything he or she says. You might learn something about the other person's feelings and fears and get a better understanding of why they think they way they do. You might learn to see the world in a nuanced, inclusive, and loving way, rather than a black-and-white, us-and-them, sometimes-hateful way.
It's just a thought.
It's something I try to do, and I think my life is richer for it.
Thing I'm thankful for: dark chocolate cake!
posted by Sara @ 8:31 PM
3 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maybe you should do the same for President Trump. He isn't as bad as you think he is. And he has given his salary to people and organizations who need it.
I think it’s important to distinguish the difference between differing opinions on policy and what I see happening in the era of Trump. Right now it doesn’t seem to be about policy it seems to be about a person, Trump. He has done things that are horrible in their own right, but also when he says things people who follow him do things that are horrible. After the election, hate crimes increased, and I would argue one cause of that is because he would not disavow hateful rhetoric, but instead spreads it.
His immigration policy have created deplorable conditions at our border for people of all ages and people died Because of them. And more recently as talked about on your Facebook wall, when he casually dispenses clinical information it’s dangerous, some people will take it as truth.
When you are the president of United States you cannot flippantly use the language, you have a huge microphone and with that comes responsibility to use it wisely.
As for new sources, before Trump was running for president and maligned all mainstream media, regular news sources like the Washington Post or NPR were not seen as hugely left leaning outlets or fake news. I’m not going to go read Breitbart news or listen to Fox News or MSNBC for that matter because I know that they’re all have partisan leanings and are news with a clear angle. I don’t personally think I need to consume that news in order to be an informed person.
Lately on Facebook I’ve seen very little about policies and how they should be enacted that have to do with a coherent ideology, instead they just seem to be based on a cult of personality headed by Trump. The fact that in their eyes he can do no wrong. I will not grant those people equal measure of my attention because they do not warrant it. To pretend like those arguments and opinions are as valid as others is dangerous, and one of the reasons we are in the current situation. The news media try to do exactly what you are saying right now and it made some impressionable people think that Trump was just one side of a coin which he is very much not
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