Unfortunately I have seen this behavior in too many republicans lately. It is as if they have convinced themselves that no matter what the facts are of a situation, their understanding is above and beyond anyone else's to hear. I know I can be a bit stubborn on the things I know but at least I will always listen to see if I can learn something new. That is where we diverge. It is always important to have an air of confidence about our conclusions but the air of confidence should always have a humility to it. I am not trying to be the smartest guy in the room but too many of the republicans I talk to are not only arrogant about their firmly held opinions but are often sarcastic and vile when confronted with alternatives.
The way I see this is that republicans take the risk of binding and fettering themselves when they are not open to a free exchange of ideas. Life is about change and those who fail to move from their conceived notions are doomed to be left behind. I suppose it is the "know it all" paradigm that makes them so staunch in their inability to accept new concepts. If they do accept new ideas they would have to admit that their previously held positions were wrong. Again, to remind us that a humility is needed in this world as none of us is in possession of all the facts. I have no problem admitting to anyone that I am in a constant state of learning and that what I see today as true may not be true tomorrow given new information.
But many are not like me. They have a need to be "wise" regardless of the means to that end. That in itself disassociates from them and I having a conversation or debate in the proper sense of both. By using facts to lead a step by step equation toward a conclusion is indisputable to me but that is not my experience with republicans when they bombard me with how idealistic I am when talking about socio-economic issues and only offer back superstition, prejudice and condescension as a rebuttal.
The way I see this is that republicans take the risk of binding and fettering themselves when they are not open to a free exchange of ideas. Life is about change and those who fail to move from their conceived notions are doomed to be left behind. I suppose it is the "know it all" paradigm that makes them so staunch in their inability to accept new concepts. If they do accept new ideas they would have to admit that their previously held positions were wrong. Again, to remind us that a humility is needed in this world as none of us is in possession of all the facts. I have no problem admitting to anyone that I am in a constant state of learning and that what I see today as true may not be true tomorrow given new information.
But many are not like me. They have a need to be "wise" regardless of the means to that end. That in itself disassociates from them and I having a conversation or debate in the proper sense of both. By using facts to lead a step by step equation toward a conclusion is indisputable to me but that is not my experience with republicans when they bombard me with how idealistic I am when talking about socio-economic issues and only offer back superstition, prejudice and condescension as a rebuttal.
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