Culture clash
Dec. 4th, 2013 12:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bktheirregularWhen my aunt flew from Athens to New York to visit her grand-daughter (in her first year at Wesleyan) and see her sister (my mother), she was (as she related to me later) rather shocked at the level of political discourse seen on the television news in the United States.
Specifically, how polite it seemed.
The news program in question was PBS's NewsHour, probably one of the least sensationalist news programs on American TV, and on the day in question, there was apparently either a debate or a round-table discussion. My aunt noted two people discussing a topic; they were evidently on opposite sides of the issue, with fundamental differences in opinion...
...but each waited his turn to speak! And they remained calm, and never raised their voices!
My first instinct, unspoken, was: well, of course! That's how intelligent debate is supposed to work, isn't it?
But then I got to thinking: or maybe that's just how I was brought up to view intelligent debate? Could it be that sober, calm discussion on points of fundamental dispute is the exception, not the rule?
When I wince at the raised voices in the office environment, close my door and plug my ears, complain that when people start screaming, I stop listening, am I being a narrow-minded elitist myself, in refusing to consider arguments that can't be stated calmly, just because they turn me into a nervous wreck?
Something to consider on a slow day. Here's hoping that today's a slow day.
Specifically, how polite it seemed.
The news program in question was PBS's NewsHour, probably one of the least sensationalist news programs on American TV, and on the day in question, there was apparently either a debate or a round-table discussion. My aunt noted two people discussing a topic; they were evidently on opposite sides of the issue, with fundamental differences in opinion...
...but each waited his turn to speak! And they remained calm, and never raised their voices!
My first instinct, unspoken, was: well, of course! That's how intelligent debate is supposed to work, isn't it?
But then I got to thinking: or maybe that's just how I was brought up to view intelligent debate? Could it be that sober, calm discussion on points of fundamental dispute is the exception, not the rule?
When I wince at the raised voices in the office environment, close my door and plug my ears, complain that when people start screaming, I stop listening, am I being a narrow-minded elitist myself, in refusing to consider arguments that can't be stated calmly, just because they turn me into a nervous wreck?
Something to consider on a slow day. Here's hoping that today's a slow day.
