Are you becoming a radical person?
Everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion. That is a fact and it is not really up to debate. But with that being said, opinions are delicate matters. People need to watch how they say their opinion, how their opinion may come off if their opinion is justified or not, and so on and so forth. Yes, opinions are basic human rights, but oftentimes people hold onto their opinions past the point of plausibility and reason, and solely off of vanity and not wanting to be wrong. It’s when that happens that it should become less about voicing your opinion and more about how to break your echo chamber. Echo chambers are a funny thing. By definition, an echo chamber is the beliefs and opinions that are amplified or reinforced by repetitive communication and within a closed system and insulated from rebuttal.
There is no need to point out how such a form of debate or rhetoric is dangerous and one-sided. And it’s easy to see how such a one-sidedness can happen. For instance, users on social media who actively partake in political debates or rhetoric tend to be heavily caught within their very own echo chamber, and rightfully so. When users create social media accounts, they immediately follow accounts that are like-minded and who share similar thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. So it’s easy to see how such a situation can propel people towards closed mindsets and radical thinking. To the extent that it becomes extremely difficult to have open discussions and conversations with people who have these mindsets.
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It’s important to realize and self-actualize the situation in which you are in. For instance, are you the type of person to get offended easily by someone who opposes their opinions and mindset? Do you hold on to your beliefs and opinions to the point that you do not relinquish them, despite the evidence proved against them? If that’s the case then in all likelihood you are stuck in your own echo chamber, shackled to the weight of your opinions and your beliefs. In which case you have to answer the ever-important question, do you want to break your echo chamber or not? If the answer is yes, then you need to start changing some of your behavioral patterns. It won’t be a simple fix, but with time, it can have the desired effect.
Start by changing the social media accounts you surround yourself with. Try following and keeping tabs with the accounts that have opposing viewpoints of you. Do that so you can purposefully get the different viewpoints to you so that you can get accustomed to them and be exposed to them. That way you are not shocked or surprised when you come across them, and you are not angered by them, or even scared of them. By surrounding yourself with other opinions then you keep yourself well-rounded and open-minded. That is the best way to fight off radical opinions and practicing the best form of civil discourse.
