Critically appraising assent, ideas or arguments comes from having an understanding of the topic being discussed…
- Ifedolapo Oseni, DISSENT Vs INTELLIGENCE: Synonyms?
When we consider our ideologies and how we arrived at them, we often disregard how much information we had to consume to get there.
E.g. Becoming a feminist (I’m assuming we all are) may have been a result of personal convictions, but in a way, it also took a lot of reading and conversation to polish our reasoning and arrive at what we deem is the better side of the ideology spectrum given how much we know now and how well we can interpret and reason things out.
To be honest, it is hard to not roll your eyes at some takes especially when you are convinced that you are seated on the right side of reason in that case. And with that often comes the feeling of intellectual superiority and tbh, sometimes the feeling is justified, but to what end?
Your wisdom is foolishness to another, not because you are unwise, but because given the information and variables that shape their perspective, they may never reason the way you do. The why and how we believe what we believe are hugely complicated and relative.
This is not to say we should excuse ignorance, but I think we should once in a while consider and acknowledge how much we do not know and how far we’ve come along in knowing and evolving in our reasoning.
I guess what I am trying to say is: Having superior information doesn’t necessarily make you superior. There has never been a case where condescension won anyone over, and I don’t think there ever will be.
See you next month. ❤
SONG OF THE MONTH: I Sink I Sink - Living Hour
Thanks for this.