I am right and you are wrong
The Fickle Power of Opinion
On any given day, bombarded by news and social media, I feel beset by strong opinions.
In bite-sized takes and extended rants, I’m constantly asked to pick a side. Polls demand, “For or against?” Do you approve or disapprove of the job [name] is doing? Are you pro-this or pro-that? Do you protect the Second Amendment, or do you hate democracy?
And we are asked to take action. Won’t you send us $15 right now to help make the world a place where we win and the other side is crushed?
The middle ground disappears. It’s been said that we as a nation are more polarized than ever before. But why?
Here’s one theory: Any assertion—whether thoughtful and valid or wildly and obviously untrue—commands more attention (and raises more money) than even the best question.
Which brings me to curiosity. Inquiry. The process of updating our assumptions as we refine our understanding—through a series of successive approximations—of what is true. You could say it’s the foundation of the scientific method, and it has served rational discourse for millenia.
So why is it that when I compare two fundamental human abilities—Advocacy and Inquiry (the ability to passionately defend a belief versus the ability to ask questions in pursuit of clarity)—Advocacy has a decided advantage? Advocacy is louder, more assertive. It commands attention. It elicits immediate reactions, for and against. It feels like a game I want to win.
Peter Block, a thought leader in organizational development, says that a good question is ambiguous—it doesn’t have an immediate answer. It invites exploration rather than resolution.
That may be true, but it doesn’t make me want to click Donate Now.
And that, it seems, is the problem.
Questions can be powerful. Inquiry is vital. But in an era of hot takes and viral outrage, nuance isn’t sexy. Ambiguity doesn’t drive engagement. We have become enamored with opinion—ours and others’. It’s not surprising that we seek it, react to it (often fiercely), and elevate it in ways we do not elevate curiosity.
Maybe strong advocacy is the way we galvanize action and save the world. Or maybe it’s just another gimmick to capture and hold our diffuse attention, pry open our wallets (so to speak), and push us in a predetermined direction. At the very least, it encourages us to repeat as doctrine what we heard on the internet, and magnify it often without much scrutiny.
It’s probably some of both. I’ll need to poke around—ask more questions—and get back to you.
Here’s a question I’ll explore in next week’s post:
In order to live my best life during this regime, should I try to seek balance between engagement and detachment? (Or: How do I keep from losing my f–ing mind?)
Clue: It may involve simply Pausing and Reflecting when you feel you are being pushed to take a side, or be outraged, or donate money, or share. #information_hygiene
See you then.
