I woke last night about 4:30 am from a strange dream, with a strange, single thought in my head.
In a war of ideas, coercion is not an option.
It's a pithy little thought, isn't it? Simple, concise, incisive. Now, let's assume that's not just the cough medicine talking (today, I seem to be a dripping snot monster), and parse it out a little. Of course, it's not 100% correct, but it's close enough to be almost a truism. You cannot force another to change his mind.
1. What do I mean by a war of ideas?
Current events being what they are, it's easy to assume that I'm talking about politics, or about what (if anything) government should be doing about the U.S. economy. I could be thinking about the role of religion and morals in our society. And I suppose that in part, all of the above combined to spark the thought. But I believe it applies equally well to small-scale conflicts also. In short, any disagreement is, fundamentally, a war of ideas. Each combatant feels that he is RIGHT, by thunder, and he will MAKE the other person see sweet reason, OR ELSE. How familiar is that?
2. What do I mean by coercion?
Force. You cannot reach into someone else's head and manipulate their brain until they agree. And you can't beat someone over the head with your ideas and expect to get anything approaching within a country mile of a good result. My favorite example of this is something that actually happened to me over fifteen years ago, when I was serving a proselyting mission in the Philippines for my church. I and another missionary went to meet with someone we were teaching, and when we got there, a pair of missionaries from another faith happened to be there also. Now, my boon companion had been expecting just such an... opportunity, and we had prepared our remarks with the possibility in mind. We spent the better part of an hour delivering our message with great gusto, showing how the scriptures proved our point. At the end of which, those poor, unprepared ladies simply could not respond. We had won! And the next time we went to visit the person we were trying to teach, we were asked not to come again. No one had been convinced, no one's mind had been changed, and we had been dis-invited.
Now, there is one way in which force can and is used to win a war of ideas, and that is when you simply do not allow someone else to speak. See this linked video.
In the video, we see students at Columbia University forcing Jim Gilchrist, one of the founders of the Minutemen, off the stage. If you do not allow those with whom you disagree to speak, your idea wins the field by default.
In a war of ideas, coercion is not an option.
It's a pithy little thought, isn't it? Simple, concise, incisive. Now, let's assume that's not just the cough medicine talking (today, I seem to be a dripping snot monster), and parse it out a little. Of course, it's not 100% correct, but it's close enough to be almost a truism. You cannot force another to change his mind.
1. What do I mean by a war of ideas?
Current events being what they are, it's easy to assume that I'm talking about politics, or about what (if anything) government should be doing about the U.S. economy. I could be thinking about the role of religion and morals in our society. And I suppose that in part, all of the above combined to spark the thought. But I believe it applies equally well to small-scale conflicts also. In short, any disagreement is, fundamentally, a war of ideas. Each combatant feels that he is RIGHT, by thunder, and he will MAKE the other person see sweet reason, OR ELSE. How familiar is that?
2. What do I mean by coercion?
Force. You cannot reach into someone else's head and manipulate their brain until they agree. And you can't beat someone over the head with your ideas and expect to get anything approaching within a country mile of a good result. My favorite example of this is something that actually happened to me over fifteen years ago, when I was serving a proselyting mission in the Philippines for my church. I and another missionary went to meet with someone we were teaching, and when we got there, a pair of missionaries from another faith happened to be there also. Now, my boon companion had been expecting just such an... opportunity, and we had prepared our remarks with the possibility in mind. We spent the better part of an hour delivering our message with great gusto, showing how the scriptures proved our point. At the end of which, those poor, unprepared ladies simply could not respond. We had won! And the next time we went to visit the person we were trying to teach, we were asked not to come again. No one had been convinced, no one's mind had been changed, and we had been dis-invited.
Now, there is one way in which force can and is used to win a war of ideas, and that is when you simply do not allow someone else to speak. See this linked video.
In the video, we see students at Columbia University forcing Jim Gilchrist, one of the founders of the Minutemen, off the stage. If you do not allow those with whom you disagree to speak, your idea wins the field by default.
I've found myself wondering what the appropriate response to the situation depicted above might be. Can you get your message across in this kind of situation? If not, what do you do?
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1 comment:
Zach,
It is refreshing to know that more than two years after Columbia University ofically killed free speech that the threat to free speech principles are still making the news.
Eventually, through constant reminders of events like Columbia's anti-free speech fanaticism, those who believe in our Constitution and a nation governed by law instead of intellectually challenged campus hooligans will win the day.
By the way, this month I speak at three universities in Southern California. Also, I had a one hour speaking gig for C-SPAN at the Clinton School of Public Service last month in Arkansas. That was the very first time I was "allowed" to speak at a post secondary school without being shouted down, forced off the stage, or otherwise prevented from freely and peacefully stating my case.
Carry on, Zach. Our First Amendment emcompasses the most powerful tool in the world for seeking truth and achieving justice.
Jim Gilchrist, President and Founder, The Minuteman Project, Inc.
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