Thought for the Day: Don't Just "Read a Book"

I hate the phrase "read a book" when used as a period at the end of a political argument. It implies that the other person with whom you're debating is simply an uneducated rube. What you really mean to say is, "Read the books that told me what to think, so that they'll tell you to think the exact same things as me. That way, I won't have opposition and can feel more at peace."

Books are important when trying to make a decision over weighty issues, but even more important are the faculties of objectivity, stoicism, logic, reasoning, compassion, temperance, perspective, and introspection (to name a few; there are likely more I'm not currently thinking of).

It's important to come to conclusions that are truly your own, and not simply the latest soundbite or tweet fed to the masses by the political talking head of your choice. I'm not saying all people who use "read a book" as a derogatory placeholder for a stronger argument do this, but such an admonition certainly leaves a sour taste in one's mouth, and it makes me wonder why they couldn't come up with an argument more likely to win someone over.

I think there are some really solid ideologies out there worth striving to uphold, and many people who pursue these ideologies sometimes fail due to their own faulty humanity, causing them to end up sounding like overzealous guard dogs for their creed. They lose sight of what their own ideology tells them to do, and end up behaving harmfully to any dissenters or questioners.

Or sometimes, people simply hold onto archaic notions that are provably harmful regardless of how many mental and ethical gymnastics they may be put through in attempts to make them applicable to today.

The bottom line is this: if your position truly was the right one, it would lead you to be more peaceful, kind, and compassionate towards all other people, regardless of whether or not they agree with your stance. If you're not acting this way towards someone who holds a different opinion, then you need to step back and reexamine your own creed.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If you have to attack others just because they don't believe as you believe, then there is something within your beliefs (or at least, your representation of your beliefs) not worth following.