Certainty

As I read headlines (and social media posts) and listen to conversations, I wonder how some people can be so sure they're right, that no other side of the issue can even be entertained. The Buddha said something like (sorry, I can't remember the exact quote) where there are two sides, there is usually a third. And yet, from what I hear and see, everyone is suddenly an expert on at least two things: Ferguson and immigration. I'm not being facetious when I say that I wish I could have that sense of certainty about topical issues, especially ones that I see as being particularly complex. I've made an effort not to say much about either of these subjects, not because I don't have thoughts on them but because I don't have any answers. Or, I should say, I don't see easy answers that don't have counterarguments.

When I was teaching, I think the most valuable aspect of education I communicated to my students wasn't how to write well, but how to think critically. (They didn't always learn, that technique, but I did try.) I noticed, especially with the freshmen, that most of their opinions were merely empty words. They believed what someone had told them to believe and never questioned those beliefs. This is what I think about when I see stupid, absolute posts or headlines (and it's admittedly more difficult to tell the two apart). I agree that everyone has the right to his or her opinion, but I would encourage people to think before they speak/write, and to acknowledge that there might be valid points on the opposing side of the issue. Otherwise, these difficult societal problems will never be solved and the divide between factions will only continue to grow.