Open-minded? Neutral?

Has anyone else noticed that people who claim to be things like, "open-minded" and "neutral" never actually are? Of course, these are also people who invariably claim to champion diversity.

Yet, When you challenge their position, they very rarely have any actual facts or sound philosophy on which to stand. They are quick to call everyone who doesn't agree with them names like "egocentric" "narrow-minded" "pre-progressive" and the like.

How is this neutral? How is refusing to consider the possibility that you might wrong an open-minded approach? How is calling (people who don't agree with you) names respecting diversity?

Even when I was a fairly radical leftist, I never claimed to be "open-minded" or "neutral", because I was aware enough of myself and my viewpoints to know that they were not open, and they most assuredly were NOT neutral. And at the time, I was only a teenager and a very young adult. If I had that level of awareness at that age, why are there adults, even in their middle and older age, who somehow don't have it?

We could blame the public school system, I suppose, for not teaching people what words actually mean. We could blame the individual's obvious lack of intellectual integrity and coping skills for the need to respond like a child to a topic-oriented conversation, turning it into personal attack.

Perhaps, though, there is more to it. We must consider the wounded nature of the average person. We must consider how readily people are manipulated. The more wounded, the more easily manipulated. We must also consider the appeal of the cultural elitism of the radical left, which sets out to appear more educated and wise, and is quick to assign words such as "intelligent" "responsible" and "fair" to their propaganda. This tactic is particularly successful when applied to people who suffer from poor self-esteem (potentially stemming from or evidenced by: socially unsuccessful with peers in youth or adulthood, unsuccessful romantic relationship history, history of feeling inferior to other family members or family's expectations, etc.).

In short, I encourage my friends to take a firm but gentle hand with people who fit this bill. Remember, they are hurting. They are wounded. As much as you'd like to throw them out the window into a big steaming pile of wake-the-heck-up, it's probably better to simply state your case, point out their poor logic (be prepared to realize that many people have not studied logic), and gently direct them back on course to appropriate and responsible conversation. If they cannot stay on the straight and narrow road of reasonable and topic-based debate, leave them until they brush up on their skills. Never cease to love them. Never cease to pray for them.

Posted by Dani