Social media is the devil! With all the glorious connections it's brought to the world, its very existence has ushered in an inability for two humans to have a logical, polite conversation about ANYTHING. This is truly a sad time in our history, as colloquial as that may sound.
I have tried to temper my written tone. Although my dry, sarcastic, bombastic, and deplorable political perspective is gently and cerebrally strained like a house through a giant sinkhole in a Florida neighborhood, it often comes through as harsh and condescending. Yeah, chew and swallow on that simile for a few moments. 👀
Our emotions get this best of us when we engage in debate, whether the discussion be about religion, politics, sports, and now...social reform. I would go so far as to put each of these topics into one sports bucket; religion, politics, and social reform have all taken on similarities to beach volleyball. You know, we slap a topic back and forth until we find a weakness in our opponent's defenses, then we slam that thing into sand with all the ferociousness of an African lion assaulting a young zebra for his evening meal.
No longer are we capable of casual or intellectual discourse. In our wake of debate comes the win at all cost mentality. We do not seem physically able to shut our mouths for a few minutes while someone else shares an opinion. Becoming a better listener, even if you cannot be dissuaded, is a learned trait, and a gift from the hearing gods. Two ears, one mouth...you know the rest.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a practicing martial artist and a lover of all things boxing. The sweet science, as boxing is called, is a favorite of mine. Two men engaged in an act of pummeling one another into submission is my kind of entertainment. However, verbal sparring has lost its finesse, its suave, and its swagger.
Open debate is healthy and educational, but when you shut another person down, just because you can, you should ask yourself what you have accomplished. Was your goal to demonstrate your wonderfully acquired verbal skills, or was it to show another how attuned to a particular topic you are? Those of us who throw verbal jabs at others should consider the means to the end. The art of persuasion is subtle, yet strong. At its core, persuasive argument should give the individual you are arguing with some room to maneuver before you demonstrate your intellect and fact-finding skills.
Ultimately, if we find ourselves in political banter, we should keep in mind that we want to win a person to our side of the debate, rather than push them away. I am the first to admit that I fall victim to low-road verbal tete-a-tete, but I am working hard to overcome that character flaw. Let us work hard to position ourselves to win over an individual who may seem hard and politically sallow. Who knows, maybe we will find ourselves on the real winning side of debate?!
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