I lost a friend today. Well, not exactly. I noticed today that someone had unfriended me on Facebook. I honestly don’t remember this person. For some reason years ago we had agreed to connect, and Facebook considered us to be “friends”.
He also happens to be a Liberal.
This “friend” liked to post incorrect or misleading “facts” and tried to get people to react emotionally. He was like a proactive troll. I often called him on it. He and I rarely agreed on anything. If I asked a question, his typical response was “educate yourself”. If I questioned his reasoning, he would simply try to insult me.
As you know, I have some pretty strong opinions. But, for any single issue I’m, at most, 97% sure of what I believe. I always reserve the right to change my mind should the facts change or if someone can present a particularly persuasive argument. My mind can be changed by facts, reason and logic. I don’t consider this is being wishy-washy, I consider it to be merely keeping an open mind.
I know that there are a lot of you who read my essays and often don’t like what you hear. I get that. But, you’re still reading. I respect that.
Hearing views that oppose your own is a good thing. It can either strengthen your convictions or point out the error of your ways. We become better as a nation if we listen to, and truly hear, what each other has to say. We might not agree, but that’s OK. As long as we keep trying, I’m confident we’ll find common ground.
My “friend” could have engaged with me to have a free exchange of ideas. He could have used facts, logic and reason to enlighten others. But, instead of listening to a different point of view, he did the Facebook equivalent of getting mad, taking his toys, and going home.
I lost a “friend” today. It was no big loss.
