nowadays there are lots of ways to get our ideas out into the world there’s
our ideas out into the world there’s
our ideas out into the world there’s social media web hosting blogs
social media web hosting blogs
social media web hosting blogs comments on news articles if you’ve got
comments on news articles if you’ve got
comments on news articles if you’ve got something to say you can find a place to
something to say you can find a place to
something to say you can find a place to say it and partly because of these
say it and partly because of these
say it and partly because of these platforms we also live in a world of
platforms we also live in a world of
platforms we also live in a world of fakers and echo chambers where we
fakers and echo chambers where we
fakers and echo chambers where we surround ourselves with sources that
surround ourselves with sources that
surround ourselves with sources that tell us what we already think and how
tell us what we already think and how
tell us what we already think and how clever we are for thinking it so you
clever we are for thinking it so you
clever we are for thinking it so you agree with me wow you must be really
agree with me wow you must be really
agree with me wow you must be really smart and obviously an excellent source
smart and obviously an excellent source
smart and obviously an excellent source of information but if we step outside
of information but if we step outside
of information but if we step outside those circles having lots of ideas and
those circles having lots of ideas and
those circles having lots of ideas and opinions around us is a good thing
opinions around us is a good thing
opinions around us is a good thing it makes it harder for us to exist
it makes it harder for us to exist
it makes it harder for us to exist solely in our information bubbles a
solely in our information bubbles a
solely in our information bubbles a diversity of ideas is also an indicator
diversity of ideas is also an indicator
diversity of ideas is also an indicator of a tolerant society and that very
of a tolerant society and that very
of a tolerant society and that very tolerance suggest that we should respect
tolerance suggest that we should respect
tolerance suggest that we should respect the ideas and opinions of others right
the ideas and opinions of others right
the ideas and opinions of others right each according to their own let a
each according to their own let a
each according to their own let a thousand flowers bloom I would argue
thousand flowers bloom I would argue
thousand flowers bloom I would argue that’s not only wrong it’s dangerous
treating all ideas as equally worthy of
treating all ideas as equally worthy of respect is a toxic notion because if all
respect is a toxic notion because if all
respect is a toxic notion because if all ideas are equal then all ideas are
ideas are equal then all ideas are
ideas are equal then all ideas are worthless now let me explain that
worthless now let me explain that
worthless now let me explain that thinking a bit if there’s no criteria we
thinking a bit if there’s no criteria we
thinking a bit if there’s no criteria we can use to determine if one idea is
can use to determine if one idea is
can use to determine if one idea is better or worse than any other then it
better or worse than any other then it
better or worse than any other then it is by definition both worthless and
is by definition both worthless and
is by definition both worthless and useless in other words an idea that
useless in other words an idea that
useless in other words an idea that can’t be
can’t be
can’t be valuated is an idea without value but we
valuated is an idea without value but we
valuated is an idea without value but we value ideas for different reasons some
value ideas for different reasons some
value ideas for different reasons some ideas are valuable because they change
ideas are valuable because they change
ideas are valuable because they change how we think and can therefore make
how we think and can therefore make
how we think and can therefore make possible that which wasn’t possible
possible that which wasn’t possible
possible that which wasn’t possible before they open up opportunities for us
before they open up opportunities for us
before they open up opportunities for us to imagine and to dream and to act the
to imagine and to dream and to act the
to imagine and to dream and to act the TEDx forum gives us lots of examples of
TEDx forum gives us lots of examples of
TEDx forum gives us lots of examples of these ideas that can take us places that
these ideas that can take us places that
these ideas that can take us places that help us explore progress and development
help us explore progress and development
help us explore progress and development that give us meaning and purpose are
that give us meaning and purpose are
that give us meaning and purpose are good ideas but not all ideas are like
good ideas but not all ideas are like
good ideas but not all ideas are like that I’d also suggest that an inability
that I’d also suggest that an inability
that I’d also suggest that an inability even unwillingness to discriminate
even unwillingness to discriminate
even unwillingness to discriminate between good and bad ideas has left us
between good and bad ideas has left us
between good and bad ideas has left us with a deficit of among other things
with a deficit of among other things
with a deficit of among other things good politicians and high-quality public
good politicians and high-quality public
good politicians and high-quality public debate so where does the sentiment come
debate so where does the sentiment come
debate so where does the sentiment come from that we should treat all ideas and
from that we should treat all ideas and
from that we should treat all ideas and opinions with respect well to my mind
opinions with respect well to my mind
opinions with respect well to my mind it’s part of a broad and deep social
it’s part of a broad and deep social
it’s part of a broad and deep social movement towards tolerance and equality
movement towards tolerance and equality
movement towards tolerance and equality which is a good thing but what that
which is a good thing but what that
which is a good thing but what that movement sometimes fails to recognize is
movement sometimes fails to recognize is
movement sometimes fails to recognize is a very important principle that people
a very important principle that people
a very important principle that people are innately worthy of respect but ideas
are innately worthy of respect but ideas
are innately worthy of respect but ideas are not we can’t empathize with ideas
are not we can’t empathize with ideas
are not we can’t empathize with ideas like we can with people ideas can’t
like we can with people ideas can’t
like we can with people ideas can’t suffer they don’t know joy and they’re
suffer they don’t know joy and they’re
suffer they don’t know joy and they’re not by themselves responsible for other
not by themselves responsible for other
not by themselves responsible for other people ideas shouldn’t get respect
people ideas shouldn’t get respect
people ideas shouldn’t get respect unless they earn it the world of ideas
unless they earn it the world of ideas
unless they earn it the world of ideas should be a brutal meritocracy they
should be a brutal meritocracy they
should be a brutal meritocracy they should stand or fall according to their
should stand or fall according to their
should stand or fall according to their merits not because of who promotes them
merits not because of who promotes them
merits not because of who promotes them or because of the passion or sincerity
or because of the passion or sincerity
or because of the passion or sincerity with which they’re expressed so ideas
with which they’re expressed so ideas
with which they’re expressed so ideas and people are different
and people are different
and people are different sometimes however we integrate our ideas
sometimes however we integrate our ideas
sometimes however we integrate our ideas into our identity and that can make us
into our identity and that can make us
into our identity and that can make us very resistant to critical analysis of
very resistant to critical analysis of
very resistant to critical analysis of them can even make us angry when others
them can even make us angry when others
them can even make us angry when others dare to challenge us and that anger can
dare to challenge us and that anger can
dare to challenge us and that anger can make others hesitate to criticize us but
make others hesitate to criticize us but
make others hesitate to criticize us but if our ideas can’t be challenged and
if our ideas can’t be challenged and
if our ideas can’t be challenged and critiqued then they’re nothing more than
critiqued then they’re nothing more than
critiqued then they’re nothing more than gang colors identifying us in the same
gang colors identifying us in the same
gang colors identifying us in the same way that bumper stickers or football
way that bumper stickers or football
way that bumper stickers or football jerseys do to say that my idea can’t be
jerseys do to say that my idea can’t be
jerseys do to say that my idea can’t be challenged because it’s part of my
challenged because it’s part of my
challenged because it’s part of my identity and that an attack on it is an
identity and that an attack on it is an
identity and that an attack on it is an attack on me equivalent to a denial of
attack on me equivalent to a denial of
attack on me equivalent to a denial of my human respect is a fallacy of
my human respect is a fallacy of
my human respect is a fallacy of reasoning and I call this fallacy the
reasoning and I call this fallacy the
reasoning and I call this fallacy the fallacy of deepest defense
fallacy of deepest defense
fallacy of deepest defense it’s a blurring of the line between
it’s a blurring of the line between
it’s a blurring of the line between people and ideas so we need to
people and ideas so we need to
people and ideas so we need to interrogate our own thinking with the
interrogate our own thinking with the
interrogate our own thinking with the same rigor that we would use to
same rigor that we would use to
same rigor that we would use to interrogate the thinking of others and
interrogate the thinking of others and
interrogate the thinking of others and to expect the same from them perhaps
to expect the same from them perhaps
to expect the same from them perhaps letting go of some cherished ideas along
letting go of some cherished ideas along
letting go of some cherished ideas along the way because it’s far more sensible
the way because it’s far more sensible
the way because it’s far more sensible to let go of an idea if we have good
to let go of an idea if we have good
to let go of an idea if we have good reasons to do so than it is to cling on
reasons to do so than it is to cling on
reasons to do so than it is to cling on to it in the face of compelling evidence
to it in the face of compelling evidence
to it in the face of compelling evidence or arguments against it a stubbornness
or arguments against it a stubbornness
or arguments against it a stubbornness born of not separating our ideas and our
born of not separating our ideas and our
born of not separating our ideas and our identity thinking critically about our
identity thinking critically about our
identity thinking critically about our ideas and why we believe in them is an
ideas and why we believe in them is an
ideas and why we believe in them is an essential part of our personal growth
essential part of our personal growth
essential part of our personal growth critical thinking is not something to be
critical thinking is not something to be
critical thinking is not something to be weaponized for use against others it’s
weaponized for use against others it’s
weaponized for use against others it’s rather a mirror that we can hold up to
rather a mirror that we can hold up to
rather a mirror that we can hold up to ourselves we should therefore respect
ourselves we should therefore respect
ourselves we should therefore respect the right of others to inquire into
the right of others to inquire into
the right of others to inquire into anything and to go wherever that free
anything and to go wherever that free
anything and to go wherever that free inquiry may lead them we should also
inquiry may lead them we should also
inquiry may lead them we should also respect the fact that they may end up
respect the fact that they may end up
respect the fact that they may end up embracing ideas that we ourselves would
embracing ideas that we ourselves would
embracing ideas that we ourselves would not wish to hold but what we don’t have
not wish to hold but what we don’t have
not wish to hold but what we don’t have to respect is the idea itself the right
to respect is the idea itself the right
to respect is the idea itself the right to hold and promote an idea does not
to hold and promote an idea does not
to hold and promote an idea does not create in others and
create in others and
create in others and Legation to respect it the right to be
Legation to respect it the right to be
Legation to respect it the right to be heard is not the right to be taken
heard is not the right to be taken
heard is not the right to be taken seriously I said earlier if all ideas
seriously I said earlier if all ideas
seriously I said earlier if all ideas are equal then all ideas are worthless
are equal then all ideas are worthless
are equal then all ideas are worthless but all ideas aren’t equal and all ideas
but all ideas aren’t equal and all ideas
but all ideas aren’t equal and all ideas aren’t worthless some are better than
aren’t worthless some are better than
aren’t worthless some are better than others and no one person can tell us the
others and no one person can tell us the
others and no one person can tell us the criteria for a good idea across all
criteria for a good idea across all
criteria for a good idea across all contexts that’s something we have to
contexts that’s something we have to
contexts that’s something we have to work on collectively and collaboratively
work on collectively and collaboratively
work on collectively and collaboratively but what we can say is that the very
but what we can say is that the very
but what we can say is that the very best ideas are those that help all of us
best ideas are those that help all of us
best ideas are those that help all of us to flourish not just some of us at the
to flourish not just some of us at the
to flourish not just some of us at the expense of others when we realize this
expense of others when we realize this
expense of others when we realize this we can look ahead with more clarity to
we can look ahead with more clarity to
we can look ahead with more clarity to find to recognize and to accept those
find to recognize and to accept those
find to recognize and to accept those ideas that really are worth spreading
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