RE: What Happened to Compromise?
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In one of my recent posts I pointed out that one thing we are missing to build (or maintain) a functioning community is the lack of confrontation with the "other" in a productive way. We're searching for echo-chambers, both online as offline, and never allow ourselves to be confronted with the way that others think, with their values and ideas on how to solve the current problems.
Finding compromise is a result of just that. As soon as we comprehend that the "other" is not a dangerous animal that wants to kill us, but a human that just has different ideas on how things should run in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the largest number of people, we can consider them as such and finally find those compromises. A compromise is nothing but a solution that considers several parts of stakeholders. But in an individualist society, consideration is losing ground quickly.
I totally agree with that. We need a healthy discourse before we can find common ground and heal. When the other side is viewed as—the enemy, stupid, and brain-washed we can't develop the respect needed for a real debate.
Also, some people are, legitimately, brainwashed by the media outlets (echo chambers) they frequent so when presented with hard facts they discount them as lies or conspiracies. That presents a real challenge to consensus.
Yes, there are those brainwashed people. But I think a lot of that is not complete brainwashing, but mostly comfort. It's so much easier to just stay in the bubble and shout with the masses than saying a word that questions the echo as it comes with the risk of being left out again. And though an echo chamber is no real community, it's the closest thing that a lot of people have as real contact, and they don't want to lose it.