Cigarettes, COVID and Debating
"Cigarettes cause cancer" or one of its variant is printed on every pack of cigarettes that is sold across the world, yet cigarette companies are raking in billions of dollars every year. If the topic of whether cigarettes should be banned comes up on a debate, the smokers will put up a very convincing argument and so would the non smokers.
The same can be said of wearing a mask during these difficult times of COVID. Mask abhorrers will claim that it goes against their notion of freedom while the proponents will say that not wearing a mask is akin to inhaling second hand smoke that is equally if not more dangerous as it lulls the recipient into a false sense of security
Social media today is rife with news articles and points of view. But a good old fashioned debate in my mind is still the best way to go about this conundrum that repeats itself every now and then. The earliest being in the Old Testament that talks about loving thy neighbor as yourself, yet we have seen countless wars and strife over the centuries
Now lets talk about why I think debating is good for these times. Humans have an innate instinct to hear from others. Inspite of all the work from home, we still want to to talk to another human to exchange ideas, to argue and debate. The idea of a debate is not to just prove that you are right, rather it is to also prove that the other person is not right too. A solution may not be reached, but the thought process is instigated amongst the audience that helps them to think for themselves
Humans will always go against the grain because that is how we evolved. Telling a person to use a mask or not smoke cigarettes will not work as we naturally do not want to be told what to do. Rather when presented with all the facts both for and against, letting the person see the value of following one option over the other is the best way to convince a person to take up a path that is beneficial to society as a whole
I still remember some of the debates which were also called Group Discussions when interviewing for a job or equivalent. I enjoyed the debates more than the personal interviews as debating is all about putting the argument above personal egos and trying to make the other person see the value in your argument and not just to prove that you are right.
And this in my mind is the way forward for resolving strife in todays world. Slowly but surely.