Or, to rephrase that slightly: why is it so hard for other people not to agree with my view of the world? That's the essence of being PC. Recognise that I know best.
There's also the corollary for educated, intelligent people, "I just assume that people who disagree with me aren't really disagreeing with me, they're merely ill-informed."
It's worth it to me to question my perspective if even one person disagrees with me—frankly, even if no-one disagrees with me. If my beliefs can't hold up even under my own scrutiny, how can they hold up under anyone else's?
I would mention besides that, while there are often a few people very loud about their disagreement, there is no reason to think that there aren't more people made uncomfortable by an assumption I made that I didn't even realise I was making, people who don't feel safe confronting me about it. Maybe I hold the opinion sufficiently strongly that it's more important to me to say than to avoid worrying about it offending someone else, and I think that can be the right decision; but I'd rather make that decision consciously than bumble into offending someone out of ignorance.
Someone disagreeing with you doesn't mean they are stupid, evil and part of a grand conspiracy to destroy everything you love. They just have different priorities. Why is this so hard for people to understand?
That's a great quote. For me, it usually ends up that I need to just be silent and ask questions. And yet more and more, people are forcing an opinion, essentially taking the "If you're not with us, you're against us" stance, regardless of if I agree or disagree or how much I validate their own thought process.
Just pondering, why are people not allowed to keep their opinions to themselves now, especially if they are doing so to be kind to the other person? My own opinion is often that the reality of people and situations is nuanced, and blanket policies don't work at all levels. But even that is an unacceptable position in peoples' eyes.
I think the problem is when the speaker gets to be the sole determinant of sufficient empathy and listening. It leaves no room for disagreement.
>If you truly empathize with me and understood my position, surely you would agree with me. If you disagree, then you have not listened with sufficient empathy.
It's so easy and so human to criticize other people's views, filtered through my own world view. But then I'm really only criticizing own interpretation of their view.
For me, this is a lesson that almost can't be repeated enough, because I tend to slip into forgetting about it.
But good for you if you find it obvious and banal :)
A fun game is to templatize that statement and try swapping it out with other beliefs:
Why would anyone disagree with <something I agree with>. I think that says a lot. Are the <people who my ideology targets> who complain about the <derogatory term for my political belief> hurt in any way by <the best part of my political belief>? No, they are not.
Why would anyone disagree with environmental activism. I think that says a lot. Are the corporate polluters who complain about the tree huggers hurt in any way by clean water? No, they are not.
Why would anyone disagree with conservatism. I think that says a lot. Are the left-wingers who complain about the rightards hurt in any way by individual liberty? No, they are not.
On the contrary, if everyone can see your opinion, then all the people who disagree have the opportunity to say so. There's always someone in the world who disagrees. Add to that the folks who say things they don't believe for fun, and the ones who are paid by businesses and governments to spread propaganda, and you have a real mess.
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