Have you ever examined how few concepts have true opposites? Except for the colors black and white, with the condition of ‘white’ being the reflection of all color and ‘black’ oppositely absorbing all color, I cannot think of any. Even our concept of the commonly accepted opposites of ‘up’ and ‘down’ is relative. In outer space, there’s no clarity of where ‘up’ or ‘down’ lie.
Yet, nowadays, there are some extremely loud people insisting that we consider most concepts and conditions as binary opposites:
If you question the rate or severity of Climate Change, you’re labeled as a Climate Change ‘denier’.
If you show concern about future unknown side effects or the efficacy of the mRNA ‘vaccines’, you’re an ‘anti-vaxxer’.
If you worry about the growing trend of impressionable children identifying as transgender, it’s suggested (by loudmouths) that you want to deny their existence… or even worse ‘hate’ them.
If you want a secure border, you’re either xenophobic or monstrously insensitive to the plight of migrants.
There are sadly too many more to list, but these are enough to give anyone with the capacity for reason pause.
I want to know why we allow these absurd reductive labels to occupy any adult conversation.
I regret having to say this but that intellectually lazy either/or ‘reasoning’ predominantly is coming from folks who claim to be the smartest and most tolerant. {News Flash- If you need to claim you’re smart and/or tolerant, you probably are neither in practice.}
We most likely can agree that words and phrases can have more than one definition. So, why are so many people defaulting to the idea that ALL “arguments” are something so negative that they need to be avoided? Are they ignorant of the courtroom definition of “A line of reasoning.”?
If Americans truly revere the “scientific method” as the ultimate formula for finding facts and approaching Truth, why is there so much effort being directed toward reducing speech and inquiry?
These are points and questions that I hope all well-meaning people will consider. This post consists of questions and hypotheses rather than statements for a reason. I’m offering an argument as “food for thought” and not at all trying to start an argument. 😉
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