I have a good friend from years ago, with whom I occasionally cross pathes with on social media. My background and worldview is more conservative in nearly every way. He is much more progressive and liberal in his world view. With recent political and world events, our relationship has become a little more volatile. Some might wonder that we can honestly still call each other friends when viewing the way we toss verbal grenades at each other on some of our public social media strings. There are of course other trolls who weigh in on both sides to try to agitate and stir the pot further. I have found it best to ignore most of them.

I am grateful that this friend has not just written me off as so many of my other left leaning former friends have. My social media philosophy has always been that I learn much more from those with whom I disagree than from those who hold the very same views I do. In the current climate however, it has become difficult because so many on both sides seem to have adopted a “my way or the highway” approach to social media discourse. The result is that we gather in our little silos of agreement and attempt to lob verbal cluster bombs into the silos of our perceived enemies. This is not healthy discussion. It serves only to divide us further and isolate us into our respective camps. 

It maybe idealistic to assume that we will ever truly walk in the kind of harmony where we all get along all the time. I have been around long enough to realize that where two or more are gathered – there will be two or more opinions – on pretty much everything. It may not be unreasonable, however, to suggest that if we could agree to disagree respectfully, we might be able to preserve more of our relationships. Simple respect for the right of another person to have an opposing opinion is typically all it takes. It doesn’t mean we agree with them. We don’t have to agree on everything to be friends, and to treat each other respectfully. I believe this simple step might minimize much of the name calling and cussing that currently seems to be the rule in too many of our social media discussions.