Today's political climate and the way in which our world is so vocally opinionated can make the prospect of sharing your thoughts and feelings on tough or controversial topics really daunting. Online we constantly encounter endless threads of people attacking each other's beliefs and morals. It seems that for some reason, everyone feels the need to be right, even if they're arguing with a random stranger they will probably never meet. Of course, there's nothing wrong with having firm moral stances or beliefs. It's really empowering to explore and develop your personal opinions about the world in which you live and the issues we're dealing with today. Having and developing opinions can give you confidence in your own moral compass and give you something to advocate for or be passionate about. But even so, there's one thing we can probably all agree with: the world would be a much less hostile place if we could all learn to treat each other with mutual respect and stop hating on each other for thinking and believing different things.
So the question is, how do we do that? How do we cultivate that respect amongst ourselves and try to turn outwards instead of living in our own narrow-mindedness of only believing our own opinions are right? One place I think we can begin to implement this change, and where I've already seen it happen, is in the classroom.
Discussion-based classes can be a double-edged sword. They're usually either really interesting or engaging, or they're really boring and awkward if nobody ever talks. This past semester I took a required generals course at my school called "Ethics and Values". Out of all the classes I didn't like very much this semester, my Ethics & Values class was one I actually wanted to go to most days. From the get-go, my professor made it clear that the class would be very discussion-based. Though there were never any in-class assignments, attending class was essential to get the most out of the interesting and difficult topics we would be studying.
As usual, the first week or so of class felt a little awkward each time the professor would open up questions for the class to answer. It's hard to make yourself vulnerable in a room full of strangers by stating your opinion or offering your perspective on a topic of ethics and morals. But slowly people began to share their feelings, their thoughts, and their questions. Soon that class became a space where I always felt enriched and informed because my peers were opening up about their opinions. In a lot of situations where someone is stating their opinion to me, I usually prepare to be either encouraged and uplifted because their feelings are similar to mine, or to become frustrated and annoyed if their opinions are different than mine. This class didn't have that kind of feeling at all. Instead, I felt very open to listening and considering everyone's opinions and thoughts. Our discussions never got too heated or touchy. Everyone was very open about their beliefs while also being very considerate of the feelings and circumstances of others. We would bounce off of each other's comments and ask each other questions in response to comments. We were learning by listening and responding respectfully and it was awesome. It gave me hope for our generation because it showed me that there are still spaces where we can feel free to discuss our varying viewpoints and opinions without feeling the need to attack or judge each other.
My advice to anyone who wishes they could feel more comfortable expressing their voice or opinions in classes or other appropriate situations: just go for it, but make sure you do it in a friendly and uncondescending manner. I feel that the key to having healthy, constructive conversations, especially on difficult or controversial topics, is to make sure you approach the situation with a willingness to learn and not to criticize. I didn't quite know what to expect when I first walked into my Ethics & Values class and the professor told us we would mainly be engaged in discussion. I was worried about the potential of it becoming a situation with just a few voices trying to refute each other the whole semester. But my amazing peers went above and beyond in their ability to state their own opinions with confidence while simultaneously being open and understanding to the views of everyone else. It's possible to create a non-hostile debate or discussion environment. Seeing how our world is today, it's not just possible; I think it's important, even essential, for us to learn this skill.
