In conversation on same sex marriage, abortion on demand and indeed almost any topic it might be polite to agree but … is it constructive? Sometimes we need to invite provocation, put our (figuratively) dukes up and battle it out.
How else can we challenge each other and change our minds?
Society Shouldn't Regulate Feelings
What is wrong about the whole idea of regulating feelings in discussion is that different things can upset different people.
Although feelings can be influenced by external factors, ultimately they are a matter of personal choice. No matter how ill informed or obnoxious the words, our reaction to someone's else’s words is always up to us and we should not try to censor or stop the discussion.
Unless words are coercive — threatening, misleading, or forcing us to do something against our will — we are responsible for how they are received. Obliging others to share in our feelings of offence is petty and trivial.
As George Orwell said: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
Remember also the words from the old film ' Zorba the Greek: 'A man need a bit of madness or else … he never dares cuts the rope and be free …' when facing Groupthink and the importance of escaping the echo chambers of like-minded thinking and people.
