Thread: Here's how hard people will fight to avoid rethinking their opinion: They will attach the character of the person who disagrees, they will claim that person doesn't understand, they will believe complicated conspiracy theories that claim "something deeper is going on."

They will threaten violence against the person who disagrees, they will actually attack others physically. They will attack the people who are at all connected with that person. They will pressure the person's employer to try and get them fired.

People will dedicate incredible amounts of time & energy to attacking someone who disagrees, but spend no time at all wondering if that person is right. They will never even try to interrogate their own beliefs. They would rather be thrown in jail than wonder if they're wrong,

They will spend money to not have to wonder if they're wrong. They'll lose friends rather than give weight to a dissenting opinion. They'll go to jail rather than read an objective overview of the facts.

I'm continually amazed at what humans will do to avoid even thinking about the idea that they may be wrong. The desire to never have to admit error might be the most powerful urge in human history. Stronger than love, at times. Stronger than anger. People will do anything.

I beg you, ask yourself constantly: Do I really have this right?
Don't get comfortable in your outrage and your anger and your self-righteous sense of indignation. Before you waste time and emotion, just ask, What if I'm wrong?

Better yet, let's all talk about stuff that we got wrong in the past. Let's normalize getting things wrong, realizing your error, and then making amends.

I'll start: I had no idea what it meant to be trans when I was in my 20s. I got that so wrong. I still don't fully understand the journey of a trans person, but I know enough to know I was wrong, be heartily sorry, & to support trans people in their fight for dignity & freedom.

In order to realize my error, all I had to do was really listen to someone else tell me their story, their perspective. Listening. That's all that was needed. Not listening with the intent to find their error, but simply listening and taking in their words, without judgment.