16
Vent: A student at my campus protest said something that changed my view on speaker bans
I was at a rally at my university in Ohio last fall, arguing against letting a certain political commentator speak. This quiet guy next to me, who I thought was on my side, turned and said, 'If we only listen to people we agree with, how do we know we're right?' He wasn't yelling, just stating it plainly. It happened right by the library steps, and that simple question stuck with me for months. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where one person's comment made you rethink the whole 'safe space' argument?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
nancy_davis10d ago
Ever get that feeling you're just in an echo chamber? I had a friend ask me something similar and it made me actually go listen to the other side's arguments. Honestly, it was uncomfortable but I learned a lot.
6
stellap4910d ago
The real danger is when echo chambers make you forget the other side is made of real people. I once read a study where they had people watch news clips of the other party, but with the sound off. Just seeing their faces and normal reactions changed a lot of minds. It's easy to argue with a cartoon version of someone's beliefs. Harder when you see they worry about their kids and laugh at dumb jokes too. That silent video did more to break my bubble than any debate.
3