"Those are times you'll never forget- those debates you have at 2am with people on your floor." Davin has brought it up in class a few times, and each time I wonder...when will these debates occur? Will they ever? Why haven't they yet? So far the most constructive dialogue exchanged between me and other girls on the floor is something along the lines of "Oh my gaaahd, I wish they had paper towels in the bathroom." After hearing that these debates do indeed exist and are a key and enjoyable component of the college experience, I began trying to spark some debates among my friends.
Simmons Dining Hall, 1/22/11, dinnertime
Friend #1: What is couscous, anyways?
Me: What is abortion, anyways?
Verdict: Unsuccessful. My attempt at debate was shot down with a curious glance and an explanation of how Friend #1 thinks couscous is a protein. Further research proved she was wrong, its technically a carb.
5th Floor Hiester, 1/24/11, afternoon
Roommate: This really cool show is coming on E! about women who like kill their husbands. It looks trippy. We're totally watching it.
Me: What do you think should happen to those women? Do you think they should be given the death penalty?
Verdict: Unsuccessful. My roommate then saw a commercial for a heart-shaped necklace and proceeded to rant about how she better get the "best Valentine's day present ever."
One night at dinner my efforts finally paid off, and I was able to spark some debate about abortion. Except no, to call it "debate" would be to use the word inaccurately. It was more "people meekly stating how their parents feel about it, how the political party they identify with feels about it, stating that in that situation they would 'have no idea what to do and therefore can't judge' and then concluding by saying 'but whatever you guys believe is fine too!'" Why have we become so hesitant to step on each others' toes? To state what we think, how we feel? Perhaps in a society that is becoming increasingly judgmental- about looks, about where you received your degree, about how many AP classes you took and how many extracurriculars you participate in- people are increasingly unwilling to dish out personal beliefs for fear that they'll be scrutinized as much as their SAT scores.
This fear to engage is any sort of impassioned exchange about our ideals is, ultimately, hurting us. Debating is an excellent way to exchange information and to broaden one's mind. Without it, we will be left only with our narrow scope of half-formed ideas.
I found this post to be very interesting! It was very well written. As an audience member, I felt engaged, especially when you were humorous about your attempts. The writing sucked me in and I kept wanting more. I look forward to your upcoming entries!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the fact that the idea of debating seems to be fading. My friends and I debate all the time about different topics, but it always ends up in an argument, because people defend their opinions with their lives and do not want to even attempt to listen to anyone elses viewpoint. I really like this post! :)
ReplyDeleteI have also noticed how people are often afraid of their own opinions. Whenever I used to try and have a good old fashioned discussion with my friends about a topic such as religion, most of the time they would just spout off whatever they had heard on the TV. They would do this or just wait for me to go and agree with it. People are just so afraid to let others hear what they truly think in fear or being ridiculed for their thoughts, when in reality, I would openly welcome an opposing viewpoint just so I can have a halfway decent conversation with another person.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very interesting, not to mention hilarious as well. Personally, I feel that people have stopped asserting their opinions because of how the world has shifted towards tolerance of other people's ideas and beliefs. For example, if one were to get into a critical dialogue of some of the questionable practices in major religions, one may be accused of being ignorant or intolerant. So to avoid this, we've kind of gone the other way, blunting our opinions about contentious issues,cause like you say, people often undermine the position they've asserted by saying ,"But whatever you guys think is fine too." or "I don't know." I'm also guilty of this sometimes in an effort to curb my natural instincts towards impassioned debate which doesn't always win you friends. After I know someone better though, the claws come out :).
ReplyDeleteYou see how much your post has made me think :)