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Why We Must Tolerate Intolerance

The Paradox of Tolerance Back in the 1940s, a philosopher named Karl Popper came up with something called “The Paradox of Tolerance.” He said that if everyone tolerates every idea, then intolerant ideas will emerge. Tolerate people, being the soft pushovers they are, will tolerate this intolerance. However, the intolerant will not tolerate tolerant people. So, eventually, the tolerant will get rammed up the backside. … Continue reading Why We Must Tolerate Intolerance

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The Power of Listening

Amidst the rise in digital technologies and new avenues for communication, the general quality of our public discourse has declined. As I have explored in this series, modern society has become increasingly fragmented and polarized. We are no longer able to search for areas of compromise or entertain opposing viewpoints. The cause of the issue stems from our inability to truly listen to one another. … Continue reading The Power of Listening

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Why We are Mostly Emotional, and Sometimes Rational

Over the course of our lives many of us will have gotten into arguments with friends, family or loved ones which goes somewhat along the lines of: “You are not thinking, can you hear yourself? You need to stop being so hard headed and stubborn, and just listen to the facts. Can’t you just be a bit more reasonable!?” Notice how we are quick to … Continue reading Why We are Mostly Emotional, and Sometimes Rational

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The Wisdom of Being Wrong

If only things were that simple. If only events could be packaged into neat containers of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ or ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Despite our proclivities towards binary and dualistic thinking, life is a whole lot messier. Many circumstances are morally ambiguous and uncertain. Being in this metaphorical ‘grey’ area of not knowing can be uncomfortable. We crave certainty and straightforward responses. We are inclined … Continue reading The Wisdom of Being Wrong