10/2/2017 0 Comments Proverbs 18:2"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, Our culture has become reactionary. There are a variety of factors to this: social media, the speed of the news cycle, the polarization of politics, etc., etc., etc.. We want to be right more than we want the truth. We live in a world where issues are deeply complex. Complex issues deserve thought out answers and sophisticated solutions.
This begins with listening. Listening is more than just hearing the words that I am planning to instantaneously refute and mock with my canned argument. Listening involves putting myself in the place of the person that is in front of me and doing my best to understand their argument and motivations and priorities. I can have sympathy for how and why behind their conclusions even when I do not agree with them. When we take the time to do this we can disagree well. We can address underlying assumptions (and even evaluate our own). We can win a person rather than just an argument. Let us respond rather than react. Let us think before we speak. Let us seek to understand rather than perpetuate rhetoric. In understanding someone else's opinion, we will likely make them much more open to our own.
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