One of my favourite quotes came from Lisa Alther in Kinflicks (1975): "The degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she [he] can bring to bear on the same topic." Too often, I see people jump on some awesomely-furnished band-wagon whether is be politically, professionally, or otherwise. They will blindly follow directions and complete orders without even questioning if it is right or appropriate to do so. I feel that it is a part of our basic human nature that is difficult to overcome. Let's face it, humans are pack animals. We like to belong and be accepted and feel like we are doing something for the common good. However the common good requires that each individual agree that what they are doing is the best course of action. The common good can't be good if only a select few people are calling the shots and the rest of us blindly follow. This leads me to another obscure literary reference regarding the "Two Minutes Hate" in George Orwell's literary classic, 1984:
Within thirty seconds any pretense was always unnecessary. A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic. And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp.
The "abstract rage" that the crowd experienced was because they didn't have a personal connection to the topic. By dedicating time from your lives to really explore a topic, you become more vested in it. This is evident by those of us who are passionate about sports (can't watch one game and be a fan), literature (can't judge a book by its cover...or associated English assignment), or fandom (can't say you're a fan before you've watched it until your eyes bleed and your heart hurts).
With this upcoming November being a major election season, I think that it is even more important now to educate ourselves on what is means to dissent and think critically. Now, I am not encouraging anarchy. I am simply encouraging you to take a step back and think on an issue from all sides. When you are able to not only think as your audience would, but also your enemies and allies, I believe that it strengthens communication as you can at least understand the opposing view, even if you don't agree with it.
I don't dissent to stunt growth, I dissent to foster it. And I intend to apply these principles within this blog and throughout my professional life.
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