Recently, I've been learning to have complicated conversations with strangers. Someone might wonder why I’m subjecting myself to this, but in truth, I think there is value in the skill—and that is that.
Honestly, most of the time, the conversations go well. Even when there are disagreements, there are things we can iron out. But sometimes—only sometimes—one of the voices becomes quite dissonant. Not because of disagreement, which is expected, but because of rigidity.
If I walk into a conversation with the idea that there is nothing for me to learn, then why even partake to begin with?
One of the advantages of practicing metacognition—thinking about how you think—is that you become more open to the notion that you might be wrong. You start to wonder if there's a piece of crucial information you are missing.
A word commonly thrown around to describe these types of interlocutors is that they are too dogmatic for their own good. In other words, their presuppositions have been carved in stone by dogma, not shaped through a process of critical thinking. Against this sort of rival—if I can call it that—I think it’s important to revise our expectations.
A conversation with a dogmatic person, at best, can be an exploration into how they think—but it might not be reciprocal. In other words, you may open the book, read a few pages, but don’t expect to write any footnotes. They are not welcome, after all.
With all this said, I’m not going to claim that dogmatic people should be expelled from public discourse or anything of the sort. They are part of the landscape, and as such, we have to learn to coexist. But I do conclude that there’s a certain level of emotional investment that is best not to make.
If only some of these colorful characters could find a little humility—maybe abandon infallibility just a bit—but dogma has a way of shielding them. After all, if I’m truly convinced I’m gripping ultimate truth by the handle—a firm grip—then why would I need to listen to anyone? To the confused, the lost… right?
Ironically, dogma portrays this feature as a sort of virtue. But if we strip away the justifications, I don’t think anyone can honestly conclude that a lack of humility is a virtue.
—MenO
