We all know we are in an era of "what the heck is going on." Whether or not you agree with or support the direction our country is going politically, it would be difficult to argue that times are changing and people are not happy. I'm not going to talk about my political opinions here, but I am going to talk about how to discuss them with others. Ever since the election, social media has been a cesspool of illogical statements, political memes posted to present facts, and people angry for the sake of being angry. This needs to stop, but unfortunately it probably won't.
Just a few days ago, a friend of mine shared an image declaring their wants and efforts in the name of equity and freedom. A known antagonist of this friend did a usual disagreeing comment on the post. Without going into detail, this person commented something rude, incorrect, and unnecessary that had nothing to do with the post. It was something said just for the sake of instigating. I stepped in to dismiss this individual, (I know, but I just couldn't help it this time).
A few weeks back, I had a friend's relative block me on Facebook simply because I disagreed with them. I found myself in an argument in which I was belittled for my age and background and told my thoughts were not valid due to my age. In the same discussion, the individual said, "Trump won. My views won. I know I will be okay." That's when I knew it was an uphill battle; like trying to beat a wall in a fist fight. So I apologized for my forward tone and saw myself out. Then I was blocked. Well, hey, at least I know they won't be reading this post. I pondered on that discussion for a while. It is just such a shame so many people are unwilling to listen. What I mean to say in all of this is, it is okay to disagree with someone. It sparks discussion and argumentative discourse that you can learn from. However, there are some guidelines in doing this. I'll list out a few:
1. Saying something aimed to hurt or insult, even accompanied by a fact or opinion, is a fallacy.
2. Saying something that disagrees with fact is not a valid statement, thus a fallacy.
3. Dismissing someone's thoughts based on their age, background, or race is a fallacy.
4. Using false logic and then telling others to be logical is both hypocritical and a fallacy.
I think you get the idea. When you disagree with someone politically, philosophically, or otherwise, maybe begin by asking them why they think that way. You can learn more when someone explains their reasoning to you than you can by setting out to prove them wrong.
