I want to believe that anyone can be become smarter, even republican voters.
Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe that there has to be a path to redemption. That path exists. All anyone who is missing the point has to do is think about literally anyone besides themselves. I can’t make anyone do that. That is not, and cannot, be my problem to solve.
No one can ever make anyone do or learn anything. That’s the teachers curse. Understanding only comes when a person themselves understands it themselves.
The best you can do is to keep questioning them until they at least think about it, and that’s all I ask you to consider doing.
Someone tells racist shit? Ask them why?
Your uncle doesn’t want universal healthcare? Ask him why?
You mother doesn’t want student loans forgiven? Ask her why?
I’m not interested in having, for example, a racist defend their racism to me. Nor am I interested in giving them the opportunity to firm up their own wrong-headed conceptions through the action of defending them.
That is the point. Nobody can defend racism. Do not sit in silent agreement, question it instead.
You will hear a lot of garbage, but you don’t have to agree, just listen and ask.
They’ll come back with all kinds of excuses or argumens… “I feel like…” , “I’ve heard that everyone says” or point to sources of statementd etc…
You can question all of it, until they start questioning themselves why they’re listening to those sources in the first place. Again, don’t push it, just let them come back with whatever argument they’ve found and then question it. If you do it in a civil way, they’ll eventually start thinking or asking for your opinion.
Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe that there has to be a path to redemption. That path exists. All anyone who is missing the point has to do is think about literally anyone besides themselves. I can’t make anyone do that. That is not, and cannot, be my problem to solve.
No one can ever make anyone do or learn anything. That’s the teachers curse. Understanding only comes when a person themselves understands it themselves.
The best you can do is to keep questioning them until they at least think about it, and that’s all I ask you to consider doing.
Someone tells racist shit? Ask them why?
Your uncle doesn’t want universal healthcare? Ask him why?
You mother doesn’t want student loans forgiven? Ask her why?
Why?
Because it’ll make them think about it, and them thinking is what is needed.
I’m not interested in having, for example, a racist defend their racism to me. Nor am I interested in giving them the opportunity to firm up their own wrong-headed conceptions through the action of defending them.
That is the point. Nobody can defend racism. Do not sit in silent agreement, question it instead.
You will hear a lot of garbage, but you don’t have to agree, just listen and ask.
They’ll come back with all kinds of excuses or argumens… “I feel like…” , “I’ve heard that everyone says” or point to sources of statementd etc…
You can question all of it, until they start questioning themselves why they’re listening to those sources in the first place. Again, don’t push it, just let them come back with whatever argument they’ve found and then question it. If you do it in a civil way, they’ll eventually start thinking or asking for your opinion.
I refer you to my previous comment.
Answering the last part of your previous comment:
They will only firm up their own opinion if you start arguing.
As soon as you say “you’re wrong because ABC and D argument”, *that’s when they dig into their opinion and make up reasoning to protect their view.
Questioning doesn’t do that. It’s a fine way to allow people to reason themselves out of the hole the dug into.