A Mind Changed

I've noticed, as I've gotten older, that the moments where someone can get me to see something in an entirely new light are becoming increasingly rare. I honestly do not believe this is because I'm becoming more stubborn with age - though I suppose it's a possibility. No, instead I think it's because as I get older, my positions have become more reasoned. Facts and research have whittled away at the parts that were perhaps a bit shaky to begin with. It's true that there is always the danger of confirmation bias but I've worked pretty hard to keep my mind open and to challenge my reasoning with opposing opinion.

So it was with a pleasant surprise that I watched the video below of a speech given by Jonathan Rauch about why we have free speech. For the first part of the video, I had my doubts that I was going to end up agreeing with him. In the end, he had me thoroughly convinced. This lecture is about 30 minutes long, but I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee and sit down with it. I think you'll have an entirely different context on free speech when it hurts minorities.

Jonathan Rauch - FIRE's CFN 2010 from The FIRE on Vimeo.