INCONCEIVABLE
When
our oldest grandchild* was small, she had difficulty pronouncing the letter
‘v’. It tended to come out sounding like ‘b’, allowing me to amuse myself by getting
her to say ‘unbelievable’.
‘Inconceivable’
is a stronger word, not well understood by children. I’m using it here to
describe a thought, or concept, unreachable by a person’s mind.
Very
few of us are able to think outside of our beliefs, to imagine that we might be
wrong. And why bother? We’re not going to stop believing what we know to be
right, and thinking that we might be wrong feels like treason. It needn’t.
Suspending
one’s belief system, assuming it’s wrong, allows us to consider that opposing
views might be correct—at least in part. We can examine opposing views with a
more open mind, borrow (steal) bits and pieces to reinforce our own ideas, make
them more practical, more acceptable to others, thereby achieving a better
result.
Recently,
I found the following headline on my computer: “Who is Anthony Scalia, and why
is he so misinformed?” The article went on to describe comments made by Scalia
(a Supreme Court justice) during hearings regarding a diversity program at The
University of Texas. The writer described gasps heard throughout the room, and
went on to quote others calling Scalia a racist.
I
read a transcript of what he actually said, and am hard pressed to see racism
in his comments. Further, I believe that consideration of his comments in
formulating a better program would lead to better opportunities for black
students.
My
point here is not to convince you that Scalia was right, and his critics wrong,
but to point out that clinging blindly to one’s beliefs can be
counterproductive, preventing us from reaching better solutions that are far
more likely to be adopted by all concerned.
Try
it; you’re not admitting that you are wrong, not abandoning your most cherished
values, just temporarily taking a peek at what the other guys might have to
offer. Can Progressives wind up with programs that work better? Can
Conservatives provide more opportunity-based help for those in need? And while
you’re at it, think about getting our democracy back, getting rid of special
interest money (all of it). We don’t need 51%, even 5% as a swing vote
might do it.
*Our
granddaughter is a new mom and a very successful lawyer. Who knew?
Joe
Bakewell.
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