Graphic by Chandler Littleford/The Choate News
It is unfortunate that our community is so politically inclined. Most conversations at Choate are rife with passionate, opinionated arguments on current events — a few popular topics today being Trump, gun control, gay rights, or immigration laws. Everyone seems to have an opinion about everything. And, while it is commendable that we can express our thoughts so freely, it becomes problematic when we refuse to recognize opposing arguments.
Well, what if you have no opinion to begin with? What I’ve learned, unfortunately, is that political neutrality is not an option one has at Choate.
I grew up in a family that distanced itself from politics. Yes, we would keep up by watching the news — but we didn’t feel the need to engage in political discussion. We never spoke (and certainly never argued) about such issues at the dinner table. In retrospect, I don’t think it was a lack of knowledge or interest that created this emptiness of political conversation. Rather, such discourse was avoided because our family insisted on listening to others and maintaining an open mind.
I only noticed this about my family and me after arriving at Choate. I had never been placed in an environment where it was commonplace not just to have a political opinion but the also the freedom to voice it. In honesty, I didn’t even know that people could have so many differing opinions. I’d certainly call it a culture shock.
When I attended my first discussion-based classes in freshman fall and was presented an immense diversity of opinion, I keep my mouth shut out of habit. I suppose I was too busy listening to each of my classmates’ ideas, and I did not think that it was in my place to share my opinion.
However, when several of my teachers in these discussion-based classes so politely notified me that I needed to speak up, I stopped focusing on what others had to say and began forcing myself to create opinions — even if they didn’t properly represent my views. My input in class discussions grew more frequent, but they simultaneously lost the quality and proper analysis that they had when I’d paid full attention to others’ opinions. In essence, I had stopped listening and started arguing.
One of Choate’s most prominent values is its sheer diversity in opinion, interest, and knowledge — and it is prominent only because Choate students so eloquently voice their arguments. Yet, if there’s one thing that Choate students have a hard time doing, it is the ability to stay quiet and pay attention to others. If we want to make more valuable contributions to our discussions, we need to learn to become a better audience. We must respect all opinions, even if they are at odds with our own.
We must learn to listen — to listen respectfully, to listen without prejudice, to listen before providing others your own thoughts. If there’s one thing that Choate students still lack, it is the ability to maintain an open mind in discourse, especially that which is politically inclined. So — the next time you find yourself debating with another on whatever topic, I urge you to pause and listen. I assure you that you’d be surprised to hear what others have to say.
