In 2021 it has become so easy for society to speak over each other and with the ability to access so much information instantly it is so hard to know who is right. We all assume that it is possible for us to know someone else’s intentions based solely on their opinions when in reality people generally want the same end goal. It is easy to assume that someone who disagrees with us has ill intentions because that means we do not have to reassess our own beliefs.

This might be a bit controversial but I do believe that there is a right and wrong way in pretty much all things. The problem we usually have is that people today do not respect the idea of specialization as much as former generations. This is the age of the DIY projects and self taught professionals. It is no longer acceptable to trust facts given given to us by specialists. Maybe this is for good reason, politicians lie, business owners tell stories, and we have access to the information ourselves, so why believe what someone else has to say?

Healthy discussion is a vital part of any society because with out it progress would be stagnant. However, healthy discussions requires two parts to really be fruitful. It has to have a speaker and listener. It is easy to be the speaker and nearly impossible at times to truly be a listener because we all want to feel heard. An old friend of mine always says, “you must always earn the right to speak” and I believe that if everyone lived this way there would way less discord and chaos in the world.

“A fool is known by his speech; and a wiseman by his silence” – Pythagoras