If You Don’t Agree, Well, You’re One of “Them”

If You Don’t Agree, Well, You’re One of “Them”

Every time I hear someone bloviate about their exalted opinions—not facts—it’s easy to see why we’ve become a polarized society. On LinkedIn, a self-appointed expert said that, “Most parents, sadly, don’t have the ability to teach their children critical thinking skills.” He didn’t conduct a survey or a controlled test of any kind, he defines “critical thinking skills” in a manner that I wouldn’t (which doesn’t mean that “most people do it wrong” but simply that I disagree), and he’s clearly just promoting his services. He’s not an authority, has not published multiple books on child rearing or parental skills.

This is the Darwinian evolution of the old “There are two kinds of people in the world….” (e.g., “those who are kind to others and those who aren’t”—when, in fact, situationally, we are all in both camps at various times). But today, if you don’t agree with someone or follow their personal opinions, you’re one of the “many who don’t….”

I guess there are two kinds of people in the world, those who think others who don’t agree are among the many failures, and those who don’t.

There aren’t enough people on social media, I guess, who can start with the proposition that the other person isn’t “damaged” if they have a differing opinion or don’t do what they preach.