I have asked them about it, and it generally goes one of two ways depending on which way they identify.
Rightwing: “Because it’s in the Bible.”
Leftwing: “I don’t know, I just think that.”
Comment on Am I crazy, or are Americans going insane?
bstix@feddit.dk 1 year agoI don’t know if you necessarily have to understand them, but you should still ask them about it, just to make them think about it.
Lots of people form their opinions out of their ass without ever being confronted with why they have hat opinion.
You don’t have to like these people, but you do need to co-exist. That’ll be difficult if they are allowed to dig themselves into their trenches without any resistance until they start flinging shit at each other.
The only way to avoid it getting worse is to engage in dialogue and keep questioning them. Don’t argue, don’t tell them what is right or wrong, just keep asking “why do you think that?”
CommanderM2192@lemmy.world 1 year ago
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 1 year ago
If a leftist cannot explain to you the reasonings behind their stances… They are a TERRIBLE leftist. Are you shre you’ve actually talked to people?!
CommanderM2192@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I promise you, I know someone who has met only a single Palestinian in their entire life here in America and now believes that at least 80% of Palestinians in Gaza are not bigots because this one person isn’t. I also know somebody who has apparently found “leftist Qanon” and now believes that Hamas is good and literally has not murdered a single baby in Israel.
Who knows? Maybe the area I live in has just been polluted by something? Or maybe COVID fried everyone’s brain? I did move away for most of my life and only came back just before COVID.
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I know you’ve met people like that.
The problem is you’re attempting to treat them as some beacon of political wisdom.
bstix@feddit.dk 1 year ago
Those are good answers. Not for understanding, but because it shows that they admittedly don’t really know, so they’ll now have to think about it.
It would be tempting to keep questioning why they believe in the bible or believe in something they don’t know, but that would likely only result in them getting angry and potentially digging further into their trench.
Don’t push them. You’ve already sown the first seed. Just step back and let them think. Maybe address the issue a while later and hear if they’ve become more open to alternative takes ln the issue. That’s the entire point.
bundes_sheep@lemmy.one 1 year ago
The other side of that coin is to allow people to question your beliefs and to actually think about things when they do.
Those two things together is what will really help, imo.
bstix@feddit.dk 1 year ago
They will ask eventually. I just don’t want to force anything on anyone
I believe that it is impossible to teach anyone anything, but it is possible for anyone to learn anything.
Understanding happens when someone thinks and reaches out.