The freedom to disagree
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One of our most precious freedoms is the right to disagree and debate. Why? One reason is naïve realism. That is our tendency to believe that we see the world around us objectively. Those who disagree must be uninformed, irrational, or biased. But the truth is we all see the world as we are, not as it is.
27 April is Freedom Day in South Africa. We celebrate the dawn of our non-racial democracy in 1994. This year I reflected on how people all have a unique view on how much economic and personal freedom we should have.
Combine all your views and you get an estimate of where on the political compass you fall. Are you a centrist? Do you lean right? Maybe you’re a hardcore liberal? My brother in law shared an online questionnaire that helped me understand my own views better:
www.politicalcompass.org
So I’m a left leaning centrist with some libertarian tendencies. Fascinating. But more interesting is the gap between what I consider the ideal mix of freedoms compared to other people.
Naïve realism is our tendency to believe that we see the world around us objectively. Those who disagree must be uninformed, irrational, or biased. But the truth is we all see the world as we are, not as it is.
If someone on social media says the government enforced restrictions on our movement and economic activity is unwarranted or unjust, you might instinctively think they are wrong. Surely they must see that a lockdown is necessary to flatten the curve, to buy our healthcare system some time in the battle with the coronavirus epidemic?
But have you considered that they be a right leaning libertarian? Do you value personal and economic freedom as much as them? Have you checked your own biases? Maybe they aren’t wrong but different. One of our most precious freedoms is the right to disagree and debate.
They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom! - Braveheart
Combine all your views and you get an estimate of where on the political compass you fall. Are you a centrist? Do you lean right? Maybe you’re a hardcore liberal? My brother in law shared an online questionnaire that helped me understand my own views better:
www.politicalcompass.org
So I’m a left leaning centrist with some libertarian tendencies. Fascinating. But more interesting is the gap between what I consider the ideal mix of freedoms compared to other people.
Naïve realism is our tendency to believe that we see the world around us objectively. Those who disagree must be uninformed, irrational, or biased. But the truth is we all see the world as we are, not as it is.
If someone on social media says the government enforced restrictions on our movement and economic activity is unwarranted or unjust, you might instinctively think they are wrong. Surely they must see that a lockdown is necessary to flatten the curve, to buy our healthcare system some time in the battle with the coronavirus epidemic?
But have you considered that they be a right leaning libertarian? Do you value personal and economic freedom as much as them? Have you checked your own biases? Maybe they aren’t wrong but different. One of our most precious freedoms is the right to disagree and debate.
They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom! - Braveheart