How Much of Our Culture is Informed?

Twenty three people sitting around a table, everyone getting worked up about the same thing. Voices are raised. Anger is palpable. People are feeling good that other people are feeling good about the same thing that they are feeling good about. There’s just one problem. Almost no one really knew what they were getting worked up about. As the facilitator began to understand and clarify things through objective questioning, what once were passionate, cocksure thoughts and feelings quickly went by the wayside. People found it difficult to defend their beliefs without the benefit of groupthink.

In today’s divisive times, it has become popular and fashionable to join the movement or lean in to the news topics of the day without being fully informed. This is true regardless of what side of a particular topic we are on. If CNN posts an article about something and we lean more democrat or liberal, it can be too easy to lean in to the content, share our thoughts and feelings, and chide others who don’t share them. When Sean Hannity gets animated about something on Fox News, relating to his thoughts and feelings before spreading them like wildfire to whomever will listen is instinctual for some.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having views. The question is, how informed are our views and could we defend them if challenged to do so? More on this later.