A few weeks back, I spoke with a friend about a controversial topic, one which we had opposite-end-of-the-spectrum opinions on. We spoke between classes for about an hour, and, by the end, I realized that I had been the one dominating the conversation. This wasn’t intentional, though. I wasn’t set on pushing an agenda or shoving my opinion down her throat, yet I still managed to speak the most. After our conversation had ended, she told me she’d rather not say her opinion. Seeing as we don’t agree, she assumed I wouldn’t care about what she had to say. In other words, she felt as though speaking from her vantage point would be a waste of time. She then went on to address how these feelings were not only toward me, but to the rest of the campus. This frustrated me, but I wasn’t surprised.

People love to claim they are open-minded, to feign a willingness to hear the thoughts and viewpoints of others. So why is it that I never see this in action? So often people are wanting to have their voices heard, but no one manages to make a sound, as they are scared to speak up on the things they believe for fear of conviction from those that disagree.

Disagreements are simply a part of human nature, but how we handle these disagreements holds the difference between advancement and imprisonment in our own ideologies. It happens all the time: people start a conversation, that conversation turns into a debate, that debate turns into an argument. But why can’t it stay a debate?

This word “debate”, although contorted with negative connotations, is actually something that has the potential to hold great power. It amounts to the sharing of different opinions between people. That’s all. Yet for some reason, when the word debate is brought up in any context, the immediate reaction people tend to have is negative. Why? Because people lack the capacity to let a debate be just that. People are not willing to hear or learn from others. Instead, they go into these conversations stuck in their own convictions. This is okay, as people are allowed to stand firmly in their beliefs. But the error people make is that they enter debates solely with the intention of making their beliefs known, and trying to get the other party to follow them in those beliefs. For some reason, the task of listening is seen as burdensome and never gets the chance to enter the conversation; people go into conversations with closed ears and open mouths.

This is a problem, one we as a campus and as a people cannot afford to ignore.

The only way to promote change and growth within a community is to have a difference of opinions. Thus, it’s disheartening to know that people feel as though the campus climate is not conducive to differing opinions. It’s this conceptual friction that acts as a catalyst for change, and, without this, we can have no growth.

Now, this is not to say that you must change your opinion or value another’s more than your own. It’s okay to have your own core beliefs, beliefs that you don’t want to waver from. But it is not okay to try to make others accept your beliefs, while you ignore their own. In doing so, you shut down the opportunity for debate or discussion and leave a whole new perspective (one that could potentially hold great opportunity) drowning beneath the weight of one opinion alone.

The maintenance of one mindset spread amongst all is dangerous. If there’s no one to challenge one belief, how would we ever know if that belief is flawed? How would we know if we’re following the right path if no one dares to question the directions?

We need to look at ourselves and reassess our values; we can’t preach a want for change if we hinder the very thing that allows its existence.