Having a productive conversation with someone who holds a differing viewpoint can be tricky these days.
To keep from adding to the anger and frustration that’s all around us, it’s essential to know how to talk to the brainwashed.
Of course, the first thing we have to understand is that all of us have been brainwashed, to some degree.
No exceptions.
We’ve all grown up believing things that we later had to admit weren’t exactly the truth.
The good news is, that’s part of life.
As writer Paul Rosenberg puts it, we’re all slogging our way out of a swamp of misinformation.
But we’re all trying to get to a place where we have a solid vantage point from which to understand the world.
This means we need to be kind to the folks behind us, many of whom are just beginning their journey.
And we should be grateful to the ones ahead of us thoughtful enough to leave trail markers for us to follow.
When we’re fortunate enough to have a conversation with someone who is seeking the truth, we don’t need to win the discussion.
Simply speak the truth with love, plant the seed and walk away.
Let them come to it on their own terms.
Chances are, that’s exactly what someone else has done for us, at some point.
Encouragement gets better results than domination.
People who’ve paid the price to know the truth don’t have something to prove.
Because they’ve already won the toughest battle.
A Better Vantage Point