Humans like to put things into metaphorical boxes, allowing
us to easily access and understand them. Unfortunately, religious (and
political) differences aren't generally “easy” to understand. This lack of
understanding has led to countless personal arguments. Arguments that, in too many cases, end with name calling. Insults as simple “stupid” or “ignorant” can
have a profoundly negative effect on interactions, making it difficult to
reconcile differences.
Name calling is recognized as the lowest form of disagreement
because it illustrates an inability to produce intelligent or rational response.
It immediately makes the name-caller look bad while also tainting the argument.
After being called a name, most people, if they don’t return the insult, feel
that they must respond to it, which subverts the original intent of the
conversation. Once this has happened it makes it difficult to return to the
true discussion (sometimes impossible). Name-calling is like a spike-strip for
constructive conversation.
Of course there will always be folks who cannot resist an opportunity
to verbally attack others, but we can marginalize and minimize them. I have
personally seen representatives from different perspectives of the most
polarized arguments have positive, constructive debates. I know it is possible,
but only once we identify the problem will we be able to overcome it.
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