In modern society, people pride themselves in having firm individual beliefs. However, the beliefs of individuals almost never originate from within themselves. There are never any original ideas. Our opinions and viewpoints come from our experience of the outside world as we, more often than analytically processing information, regurgitate ideas and beliefs. We find comfort in reaffirming our ideas by finding a group of people who have similar beliefs. For many people, if one person has a opposing belief, we tend to feel the need to share how we are correct and prove others wrong.
Even the most non-confrontational social media posts, youtube videos, and articles can strike up the most absurd online debates. Godwin's law asserts that while having an online discussion, sooner or later, someone will make a comparison to Hitler. Why do people feel the need to argue against every little thing they don't agree with?
In our society, we find the need to argue because we are utterly bored. What we value in our society are tangible and material things. We enjoy buying clothes and other things that never have the potential to bring us ultimate happiness. In the US, we live in a very safe country, yet many of us are compulsive complainers. Many of us gripe about first world problems; "That jerk cut me off!". These silly little events have the potential to ruin our day. However, the actual bearing these events have on our lives are very small.
We're so bored from the lack of excitement and turmoil that we seek out arguments. We have such a sense of entitlement to our personal beliefs that most of us have no basis in fact for the information we spout out on the internet. We crave television shows that give us a false sense of excitement. We live vicariously through these television character because it's easier than real life. In life we go through challenges and struggle to achieve things. But television shows, video games, political opinion, religious, or dietary page you follow on Facebook almost never presents you with any challenge, and are almost always satisfying. Since life is not always satisfying in this way, we would rather the route to satisfaction as we distract ourselves from what is important. We live rather cultish lives online, holding firm beliefs as we dehumanize others that have varying opinions in order to feel better about our own stagnant lives. Its ever so satisfying to dehumanize others on social media, so we tend to do it often for the sake of achieving personal satisfaction.
With all this said, I believe it is important to be confrontational online and in real life. I have definitely held myself back in life by avoiding confrontation. So I'm not saying arguing and confrontation is a bad thing. In fact, arguing is essential in life. Yet, many of us fail to grasp a correct understanding of philosophical concepts, thus having missed the boat entirely in life. To attempt to understand opposing viewpoints is a humanism. It's unfortunate, but this lack of understanding runs across all walks of life, from online world to the academic world.
As many of us mindlessly argue in the realm of the binary ghetto, we seek to cure our endless boredom. We attempt to find instantaneous satisfaction in the midst of our absurd existence. Since arguing is essential to our lives, the only way to do so is if we attempt to understand opposing viewpoints before we even consider spouting out our own. Maybe the only way to cure this boredom is not attempt to seek satisfaction by any means necessary. We become utterly bored by the instability of our own belief system as we shut ourselves away from others. In the realm of the binary ghetto, we become dopamine junkies, lurking around for the next fix. "...how ruinous boredom is for humanity... Boredom is the root of all evil." - Soren Kierkegaard.
