People have been telling me that the way to a better world is in trying to find commonalities among various people rather than in concentrating on the differences. Easy for them to say, really. I mean, come on, do you really think that this idiot who does not agree with me on the deliciousness of an idli-chutney can really have anything in common with me? But I have never been one to shy away from challenges, especially when it does not involve my having to do any work or face any danger, so here goes.
Actually, this got set off by a conversation I had with a friend. Having been asked about why I quit early, and being a bachelor, I replied,"I think any money that I have not spent by the time I die, is so much wasted time - the time I spent to earn it. Of course, I'm a bachelor and you guys have children for whom the money may be useful." That chap replied, "It should not be any different really. After all, if the children are good, they'll earn themselves and not need my money. If they are bad, they'll blow the money up, so why not blow it up myself?" There you go...you may choose to become a father or not, your children may be good or bad but the net conclusion is the same. Any money you leave behind when you die is so much wasted time. Unless, of course, you enjoyed yourself doing what you did and, incidentally, also earned the money.
Then, there was the day when I had a point to make. (A very rare day, of course. Thinking up a point all by myself happens as frequently as a pig flying, but then...pigs do fly as often as I drink myself silly.) I had all sorts of rationale to back up my point but, would you believe it, nobody really wanted to listen. The chap who agreed with my point said that listening to the reasons was a waste of time because he was anyway in agreement. The chap who opposed my point refused to believe that there could be ANY rationale supporting it. Net result, people on opposite sides of a view have this commonality. Neither wants to listen to reasons.
Of course there are those times when the other chap really does not already have a view on an issue. At least then, I thought, all these facts and reasons would come in handy. But no! The chap who liked me accepted my viewpoint and did not want to bother with facts and reasons. The chap who disliked me had no inclination to listen to facts and reasons supporting a view which would be obviously wrong if only because I supported it. Net result - whether they liked me or disliked me, they still did not want to listen to facts and reasons. So, there...commonality!
I think it sort of goes with a conversation I overheard. A few youngsters were chatting in the tea-shop where I was having my tea. So, one of those guys says, "My Dad keeps telling me that I should avoid Social media. The way it works, it will keep me in an echo chamber...as though it is something undesirable. It never crossed his mind that an echo chamber is exactly where I want to be."
The kid was joking then, I think. But I'm surprised that this truth never really struck me, having been the uncle who keeps preaching against the echo-chamber nature of social media algorithms.
I mean, come on, is it not pleasant to have people around you who invariably agree with you? People who disagree...aren't they not...err...disagreeable? So, young or old, belonging to any nook and cranny of the ideological spectrum, there is that one commonality. We all LOVE being in echo chambers!
What?? The world is not divided in Black and White? That, between a good son and a bad son, there can be a son who is good but not very capable? Between someone who agrees with you and disagrees with you, there may be someone who is ambivalent? Between someone who likes you and dislikes you, there may be someone who is indifferent? Between black and white, there is always grey?
Nonsense! Don't you know we have decided to cancel grey?