Just Because I Disagree With You Doesn’t Mean I Hate You

Just because we disagree does not mean I hate you.

The other day I witnessed a heated debate between two people who were ideological polar opposites. The debate moved from the safety of civility into the realm of complete disrespect and demonization.

This is a very sensitive subject for many because we are entrenched in our convictions. In short, we are guilty of resting the case on our point of view.
The problem with this is that it limits our ability to grow and engage new ideas that have the potential of changing us as well as the world in which we live. Just because I disagree with you does not mean I hate you.

The Singapore Cancer Society does not hate smokers because it warns of the adverse effects of smoking. It is merely presenting its scientific opinion based on its research.

One thing that hinders the civil debate of ideas is that those who share differing opinions are often viewed negatively.
Let's be clear that whenever our opinions are used to oppress, marginalize and threaten others, it is unacceptable. However, we should provide space for differing opinions so that all perspectives are addressed.

When passions run high we lose sight of the tact necessary in communicating our beliefs. We stand by the quote "you're either with us, or against us" forcing others to either become allies or enemies. We live in a polarized world fueled by a "bullet point" culture.
We are forced to remove shades of meaning and nuances from all situations and report information in 140 characters or less or a single image.

But why don't we? Could it be that we choose not to view the world from other's perspectives because if we did we could no longer hold on to the bit of information that solely supported our perspective.

In our egocentric culture the self is the main entity that is elevated. Seeing things from your perspective lessens my ability to use what I know about you against you.