I am enjoying rereading Plato. I needed mind exercise to help me climb out of shock, maybe even PTSD. I just read a dialogue between Socrates and Critias basically on temperance, wisdom, and science.
It is fascinating mental gymnastics. And I was drawn to muse over how few people of whom I am aware engage in such mental exercise and discussion nowadays. Most conversations I hear are about mundane things, other people, hurt feelings, business, etc. It seems, if people engage in discussion about ideas, it is mostly adversarial and not in pursuit if that illusive thing called truth.
I see shouting, name calling, the Marxist thing called cancelling, shunning, falsehood to try to win an argument, and a lot of childish behavior. Maybe we should encourage the spread of debate societies and debate groups in schools with the rules they have always used. Each person is given a side to present and stand for, even if it's not their personal stand. It's sort of like walking in the other shoes to come to understand. Its eye and heart opening.
I ask, is civil, deep, searching, meaningful, respectful conversation gone from our "modern" world? Can we bring it back? I yearn for it. Can we even maintain high civilization without it?
I often think of my Dad. One of his sayings to me was, "You can disagree without being disagreeable."
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