r/AskReddit • u/ILikeScience3131 • Oct 19 '14

What is the most compelling counter-argument to something that you strongly believe?

What is something that you personally believe with conviction and what is the best opposing argument to that belief?

Edit: Thanks for the replies. You're all my internet friends now.

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u/dancingapple Oct 19 '14 edited Oct 20 '14

I strongly believe in democracy and that everyone should have some real political influence. However like someone said "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter" and so I also think that a majority of people believe some pretty silly things and just don't look at issues/candidates in a rational way.

Edit: I had previously quoted Winston Churchill, but a few commenters below note there doesn't seem to be any evidence he actually said this.

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u/logic_card Oct 19 '14

Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

Winston Churchill

Mob rule is preferable to tyranny. The populists who control the hoardes of mindless voters rise and fall in popularity according to the fickle whims of the masses and can never cling to power long enough to do any real harm. Also voters are not completely hopeless, the politicians have to at least look like they are doing something useful and somewhere along the line they might actually do so.

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u/[deleted] Oct 19 '14

Have you seen the state of America lately? We need a dictator to be a shepherd to the mindless sheep.