“I don’t agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for you to have the right to say it.”
This famous quote attributed to Voltaire – which in reality is a summary of his thoughts reported by the British author Evelyn Beatrice Hall (pseudonym SG Tallentyre) in her book The Friends of Voltaire – is incredibly relevant on this 21e century, namely that of great polarizations.
Humanity is becoming more and more divided at the speed of the web.
Depending on the state, a majority discourse is constructed and a counter-discourse automatically emerges. Vaccination is a good example. The pros versus the cons. Between the two, there is nothing.
Yet everything is so complex. These antagonists are sometimes both right. Was it necessary to be vaccinated? Will this have any side effects? All of these questions are good.
Take, for example, the story of Brigitte Macron. Is she a man? Candace Owens, an American personality who comments on political news in her own way, believes so. She even bet her career on it.
The important thing is not whether this story is true or false, we are old enough to form our own opinion. The problem lies in this systematic tendency to denigrate and discredit the narrative of those who think differently.
They are conspiracy theorists, racists, transphobes. They are right-wing, even far-right. Or on the contrary, they are wokes, even supporters of the establishment.
Truths
Like it or not, this world is complex. The truths, those in which we believe, hard as iron, are only illusions forged by our understanding, even our interpretations, of this world and of what life has made of us.
Nothing is true, everything is a construction of our mind.
When you say to yourself: Putin is wrong and Zelensky is right. What are you basing your assertions on? On the history of NATO? What do you hear about in the media or on the web?
Take a step back. Your opinion may be that of the majority in Canada, but it is certainly not elsewhere.
There is no TRUTH, but truths, micro-truths that emerge according to countries, cultures, people, ages, social classes, beliefs, neighborhoods and so on.
Let’s be humble, let’s be kind
Knowing that we live in a continual illusion of truth, let us be kind to others, those who do not think like us. The one whose rationality appears to us to be irrational, even illogical and annoying.
This posture can only contribute to dialogue and, who knows, to changing our thinking and that of others.
The labels that we establish as truths which aim to muzzle others are only borders, walls to better preserve our ego.
Being humble also means recognizing that the other has a part of the truth that I am looking for.