About 10 years ago, I wrote a post on Thinking and Believing. The basic premise, based on Daniel Kahneman’s work, is that the fatal flaw of humans is to seek out stories that support their beliefs instead of seeking out evidence that supports the truth. I wrote the post to encourage readers to search for any evidence that supported the preposterous claims in the 2016 election. I guess it’s fair to say the post didn’t have much of an impact. Liberal pleas were Trumped by conservative promises.
In a recent Ezra Klein interview with Helena Rosenblatt, the author of The Lost History of Liberalism, I was struck by Rosenblatt’s research documenting the evolution of “liberal thought” over the past two centuries. Rosenblatt shares how the original conceptions of liberalism were grounded in the importance of the moral development of leaders and how the idea of freedom has been debated vigorously by different factions over the last 200 years. That discourse revolved around the promise of certain virtues. Conflicts occurred over which virtues are most important and who gets to decide what they are. The interview seemed particularly timely. I highly recommend it.
The debate today between “conservatives” and “liberals” centers (no pun intended) on what makes America great. What I heard from Rosenblatt and Klein was that liberalism made America GREAT when it was focused on:
Generosity
Reciprocity
Equality
Authenticity
Tenacity
What I’m hearing and observing from the MAGA clan does not even begin to reflect those values. Quite the opposite.
What I need to guard against, however, is believing what I think is always true. I’m finding that maxim hard to follow these days. What I’m seeing and hearing is not the “liberal” view of GREAT but a convoluted narrative that espouses the virtues of freedom, patriotism, family values, so-called Christian values, tradition, and strength while exhibiting behaviors that look more like:
Greed
Repression
Exploitation
Aristocracy
Tyranny
Clearly, those of us in the more liberal camp believe strongly that we are right. Those in the conservative camp would not only strongly disagree but would also fiercely deny that MAGA represents any of the characteristics I have uncharitably assigned to it. The MAGA adherents would insist that liberals are condescending elites who hold contemptuous views about how they eat, think, relate, talk, and vote. And there would be some truth to that.
Now that I’ve dragged you into the swamp of our divisive discourse, let me try to pull you out so that we can step back and see the issue from another vantage point—one that may give us a more universal perspective. One that might make us hesitate before we start believing wholeheartedly in what we think.
I shared the MAGA example to illustrate the dangers of strongly believing everything we think – independent of the evidence to support a particular belief. Here are three universal points I would like make: (All three of which I strongly believe are right! Haha.)
First, it’s usually not a good idea to hold a monolithic view of any group—liberal or conservative; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist; Asian, African, Latinx, or European; gay, straight, or trans. There are always distinct differences and a mix of opinions in any group. Even some Texans and Floridians hold liberal views.
Second, it’s always important to be open to new ideas and possibilities even if those ideas might challenge strongly held beliefs. In my experience, beliefs can sometimes limit the range of perspectives that can shed new light on old problems. Religious beliefs can be particularly blinding, but social, cultural, and political beliefs can also preclude us from exploring and expanding new possibilities or points of view.
Third, we can only broaden our horizons and deepen our souls when we open ourselves to new ideas and experiences. When we take that risk, make ourselves vulnerable, and take the chance of being wrong, we often discover possibilities that go beyond our wildest imaginings.
On a personal level, I’m always imploring my grandkids to be open to opening to opening. “WHAT!?” they say. I tell them that the first step is to be open to exploring an idea, e.g., going to a camp that sounds really frightening at first. Then, once they have opened the door to exploring, they need to be open to fully expanding on all the pros and cons and to fully experiencing a new adventure. Finally, they need to open their hearts and minds to the unexpected surprises that may change their whole view of the world, how they see themselves in the world, and who they might be or become.
My grandkids are not the only ones who face these challenges. All of us encounter existential choices we have to make related to politics, religion, economic or social issues. While these decisions seem simple on the surface, they often have complex implications.
- Should I live for cash or die for a cause?
- Should I suck up to a principal or stand up for a principle?
- Should I develop a soul or build my savings?
- Should I build my life on values or destroy my life with vanities?
How we answer those questions depends on how strongly we believe what we have been taught to think. To me, the biggest challenge is to fully acknowledge how resilient our opinions can be. Sometimes those opinions refuse to die no matter how aggressively they are assaulted by facts. It’s so much easier to continue to believe what we think—to rest in our complacency, our certainty, and the cultural context in which we find ourselves. It’s also very dangerous. Not confronting the truth can lead to chaos and consequences we refuse to imagine. Think climate change, nuclear war, or autonomous AI.
Certainty is at the core of interpersonal and societal conflict. When we believe our thoughts are the ultimate truth, we lose the capacity for intellectual humility. We stop listening and start defending. Being right becomes more important than being in relationship. This “certainty” creates an “us vs. them” mentality, as our thoughts categorize people into rigid boxes based on our internal projections rather than their complex humanity.
I’m hoping we can quit believing what we think is always true. For example, if you think our educational system is the best in the world, don’t believe it. We rank 34th in the world in K12 math. If you think our health care system is the best in the world, don’t believe it. We have the highest rate of maternal deaths compared to peer countries. If you think Trump’s promises and proclamations will all come true, don’t believe it. Prices are going up, trust is going down, energy is getting dirtier, wars are escalating, and deportation has become more draconian. AND, if you think all conservatives are racist, fascist, sexist Nazis, don’t believe it. There are plenty of conservative and moderate voices that need to be heard.
I’m hoping my grandkids will continue to be more open to opening to opening as they grow older and wiser. At 14, they are already expanding their perspectives and exploring new possibilities. Finally, I’m hoping we will all develop the discipline to resist believing everything we think – to be less certain. May it be so.
