When Is It OK To Challenge Someone's Beliefs?
The Quest For Truth vs. The Demand For Sensitivity
Some people would say it’s never OK to challenge someone else’s beliefs—their beliefs are theirs. They are personal. Others would say that it’s unethical to hold unjustified beliefs—and that we have an obligation to challenge people when we think their views are unfounded. It can be a sign of respect to challenge someone, as it shows a belief that the person can handle it. But challenging someone who is young, intellectually undeveloped, and/or emotionally sensitive, can be damaging. Don’t believe have a right to be left alone, a right to their nonsense? Yes. But at the same time beliefs aren’t simply private affairs—they effect the public.
If you take a deconstructive view of things you might deeply unsettle someone. A 13 year old may or may not be able to handle it. Some people never progressive intellectually beyond the level of a 13 year old. Is it patronizing to treat them as the 13 year old minds they are? Or is it considerate?
My view is that intellectual conflict is a sign of equality. But that doesn’t mean we should always strive for equality (as I wrote about here). Sometimes we are dealing with people who aren’t our intellectual equals and privileging the quest for truth to the detriment of other values, like kindness and decency, is obscene. How do you make the calculus?
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