Thoughts are tools
Political correctness, agreeableness, tolerance, and our contribution to society
The ability to formulate abstract thoughts and derive meaning from it is an exceptional trait that distinguishes us from the rest on this planet. But to what extent are we utilizing our abilities, and does that make any difference at all? As an avid follower of Dr. Jordan B Peterson, I come across thought-provoking phrases ever so often. During one of his podcast episodes, he fleetingly says “thoughts are tools”. Thoughts are tools. Contributing to society is certainly a worthwhile task as far as life goes.
For centuries people who thought differently than the rest made all the difference in the world. Edison’s electric light bulb, for instance, was told off as ‘ignis fatuus’ i.e a fairy tale, a sham. Benjamin Franklin on his quest to discover static electricity was considered the crazy kid with a death wish. Mahatma Gandhi followed Ahimsa — an unheard-of concept. He led a non-violent freedom struggle against the British colonizers who couldn’t be more violent if they tried. Elon Musk is to this day considered a delusional freak.
With increased polarization around the world, one has to be either black or white. There seems to be no grey, let alone pink, blue, or green. Holding an opinion that slightly varies from either side of the spectrum seems to have no place, which is inadvertently shaping cookie-cutter humans with cookie-cutter opinions.
Our systems are designed to build standardized humans, if you will. People wear the same clothes, eat the same food, follow the same religion, celebrate the same holidays, obsess over the same gadgets, pursue the same hobbies — going wherever the wind blows. As a marketing major, I can attest to the blessing that is a homogeneous market brimming with John Does and Jane Does. However, one’s absolute contribution to society comes from the individuality of one’s being. By blending in, are we doing a disservice to mankind?
About political correctness and standing out
It’s an evolved form of hypocrisy when political correctness borderlines censorship of opinion of the opposite end. People have the right to an opinion, even if it’s politically incorrect. Even if it’s against everything considered right. The right to speech must come before the right to be righteous. As long as opinions are expressed in a civil manner and do not yield political or social influence, they must be tolerated. That’s how we progress and grow as a global community.
That means if you’re a white supremacist, you should be allowed to be one if you keep to yourself. Not when your personal beliefs translate to hate speech and violence. Now, this is for the majority of us that may have little influence on others, being original and different is something to explore, (respectfully) express, and learn from. But there are some who hold positions of power that call for responsible expression. Say you’re the President of the world’s most influential country, and you say stuff like “grabbing her by the p*ssy” or “I think Islam hates us” on the regular, it’s not just your beliefs anymore. Your position of power directly negatively impacts 50% and 24% of the world’s population respectively.
Agreeableness is a trait we develop to fulfill our needs to fit in. But those who fit in never stand out. I’m guilty of this more than anybody, but again, it’s a work in progress. In striving to undo the wrongdoings of our predecessors, we’re growing too intolerant towards politically incorrect views. How does that make us any different from the ones before?
Let’s instead try to be more accepting. To be ourselves however different we may be. And then to accept others, however different they may be. As a result, we can only hope to grow, learn, and build each other. A wise person once said that learning is in the execution. I hope this article adds to your learning process and trickles down in the form of execution.
