Dissent

We really do see things differently

colour

People who are colour blind may not see the numbers/letters in these circles of green dots. This provides a parallel to how we do not all see the same as everyone else. Call it a deficiency, call it a different ability, but we are not wired the same to visualize everything in equal measure. It is therefore no surprise that we can be incapable of seeing things from other people’s standpoint at times. It is not because we are awkward necessarily, but because our makeup prevents us from grasping the same things as everyone else. Hence, we can argue for hours on end and never reach agreement. Our preferences are fixed, and this is the reason we are not always able to see eye to eye. We prefer to do things the way we like to do them. Nothing will change that.

Whilst the majority can see the characters in the circles, imagine trying to convince someone who has a deficiency that those characters are there. No amount of persuasion, no amount of truth telling could ever convince them completely. Some will take your word for it whilst others will refuse to believe it. They are configured to see what they see and perceive the world as it is to them. This can be why you can spend a lifetime hopelessly trying to change a person’s position, change their political standpoint, or try to get them to see the good in someone.

Some like the idea of maximum freedom and personal responsibility. Others like the idea that we contribute lots to a central pool to share out. Every political argument stems from a personal preference and personal moral reasoning. People will always disagree about what they deem fair because their biological genome is different. That genome contributes enormously to our individual way of thinking.