We've all seen those, "This is what it's like to have an opinion in 2016," memes. To me, it's a little disconcerting how accurate these generally over-the-top memes, are. We live in an era of confusing contradiction. On one hand, American society has come to advocate a national modernization of thought. We are daily encouraged to change our hearts and minds regarding issues which used to seem largely agreed upon. Our culture is a fast changing one. Sometimes, it's exciting. There's always something getting altered, being brought to attention, or even being rallied for publicly.
It's these kinds of passionate movements that ended slavery and segregation. Because of change, women have the right to vote, homeschooling is legal and we aren't ruled by a monarchy--just to name a few revolutions of idea that have occurred in our country's history. Yet, I believe the reason these funny memes and sarcastic teasings about the pop-culture preferences of today exist is because some people take it a little too far.
Every now and then, I want to tweet just for fun, "Boy do I love being a carnivore." Or, "I can't wait for Trump to make America great again!" just so I can laugh as the hate comments roll in. I'm a millennial, and a lot of us, myself included, can be ignorant. There are few people my age with whom I feel that I can have a level-headed conversation about our varying opinions. It seems as though folks around my age approach hot topics and internet discussion with the mindset of, "I must prove why they are wrong." instead of, "I wonder if I can learn something new from this."
Last week, for instance, I wrote an article about feminism.
And boy oh boy, did it make a lot of people mad.
Some readers respectfully disagreed, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their feedback. Why? Because I learned something new! Their comments taught me how to look at the issue from a different perspective. Furthermore, they helped me to critically think without resorting to foul language, negating my ability to write at all or literally comparing me to a bag of trash, as several readers did.
I don't mean to whine, but inciting a hateful discussion or ugly response doesn't promote learning, does it? We all know it would be futile to try talking to those angry Twitter users who like to subtweet about people. Whether you are having an in-person or an online discussion, you are more likely to receive correction or advice from someone who approaches topics thoughtfully, rather than someone who starts replying in all caps because you have an unpopular opinion.
You may be right, and the other person may be right. No matter the situation, you can never know everything there is to know about a topic. When a millennial, or anybody for that matter, make it a point to rudely tell their comrade that they are incorrect for thinking a certain way instead of sparking a calm discussion about it, they are acting in pride. Nobody ever learned anything by thinking they knew everything.
Even if you know for a fact that someone has their "facts" completely wrong and is spewing lies, guess what? It's possible to point out to that person the flaws within their thinking without raising your voice, interrupting them or refusing to listen to them. I know! It's a baffling concept to lots of people.
The point is, there's a lot out there for all of us to learn about life. And I do mean all of us. It doesn't matter what age group you belong to or what topic you are talking about. People will listen to you more and learn more when you are able to debate things respectfully. Having an opinion in 2016 shouldn't be as hard as it is. Let's change that.
