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Do You ‘See Red?’
Denzel Washington is famous for saying,
“It is easy to spot a red car when you’re always thinking of a red car. It is easy to spot reasons to be mad when you’re always thinking of being mad. You become what you constantly think about.”
If you’re always looking for it, you’ll find it. If you think the worst of some person or group, that’s all you’ll see. I am constantly concerned about the one-sidedness of viewpoints.
To my conservative friends I say, go conserve something. If you care to be a true conservator of the great ideas and ideals given us, then be proactive, participate, do good, above all – be kind to those who disagree with you. And to my progressive friends I say, remember the “progress” in progressive. If you care to be a true progressor of future possibilities available to us, then celebrate goodness, growth, improvement, above all – be kind to those who disagree with you.
And let me be very clear. I care deeply for all my friends, no matter your social or political positions. I need my progressive friends to remind me that human concerns still need immediate attention. I need my conservative friends to remind me that human concerns are still rooted in perennial truths.
I encourage everyone hearing my voice to go make a friend with someone who has a very different view of the world than you do. Find out why they hold that view. Read a book together, one from each of your perspectives. Organize a symposium together about a hot topic and then kindly discuss your differences before the crowd. Practice what I call “the hospitality of ideas” so that people can see an example of civility. Defend the other person in the presence of those with those who agree with you.
And, to Denzel’s point, think about the color blue, so you’re not always seeing red.
For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally pleased to have many friends who disagree with me.
The picture is of Cornel West and Robert P George, progressive and conservative friends. See more on their friendship and the questions we could be asking, here.
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Published in General
Sound words
A great uplifting post about how we relate to one another. Being willing to talk about differences in a civil manner, and to put aside those differences for friendship is powerful. In our Toastmasters club we’re trying to practice that every week.
But forget about civility in our politics, says Alex Zamalin. From his book “Against Civility”:
Instead of civility in politics, Zamalin calls for “civic radicalism” — disruption that brings about change. That’s because politics is about power, and calling on civility in politics is just a way to keep the status quo.
I suspect that Zamalin isn’t the only one wanting to get rid of civility in politics. I think Donald Trump was elected to political office partly for that in-your-face approach, asking the hard, unsaid questions, and I think that supreme civility of Mitt Romney was a losing proposition.
Starting to.
Is Mr George’s head photo-shopped in?
I live near Princeton and I have seen Cornell West a couple of times dining in a Thai restaurant with his daughter. I’ve thought about ‘saying hello’ but didn’t see much of a point, other than telling him as someone who votes entirely differently than he, I still respect him and some of his ideas. Which is kinda meaningless, right?
Maybe we could agree to both vote for Tulsi Gabbard versus Mitt Romney or Jeb Bush, but then I’m sure we’d have many other differences.
I see much more ‘red’ when I think of those ‘nice people’ who are supposed to be on my side but aren’t. That’s what animates me the most.
I’ve heard/read Cornell West a few times, can’t recall that he ever made a bit of sense.
Cornel West has grown on me over the years. But certainly not his ideas. I do like him as a person though.
My liberal friends – maybe – didn’t know what to do with me when I remarked that Cornell West is an intellectual titan. He is a great listen regarding literature, religion, art. If you’re ever going to argue with commies, this is the guy to practice with.
He was on Glen Loury last summer -was it? – and amazed me with his profound expression of fondness for classic Russian literature; the hammer and sickle, maybe not so much…. Seriously, though, he has some great lectures on YouTube that are worth the time.
He’s a great lover of jazz. How can he be bad? I could probably spend hours talking to him about John Coltrane alone. He’s an impeccable dresser and a man of good cheer. What’s not to like besides the socialism. He’s alright in my mind and I’d love to hang with the guy if he ever wanted to look me up.
Nothing wrong with being friends with people you disagree with. We all do that. There are more important things than political opinions.
So true. Just about every time I got a new car, I started noticing how many other people were driving the same vehicle in the same color as mine . . .
Maybe that depends on how wide the gap is? Do you think you could currently be “friends” with Joe Biden? Do you think you could be “friends” with someone who believes that schools should teach your young children that they are racist oppressors?
I kind of draw the line where no further progress can be made and Pro(re)gressives continue to demand still further change.
Take Free Speech, once you have Free Speech there is no further place to go, except to restrict speech.
As witnessed in the ivory tower, where Pro(re)gressives practice this thing called “cancel culture” and seek to deny those they disagree with the ability to earn a living.
I find it very difficult be friends with people who wish to destroy me.