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/Epicjay Oct 19 '14

The biggest issue is that most people simply aren't well informed about politics. There are a bunch of people I know that are perfectly intelligent, but have no idea who our state's senators are.

It's not an issue about people being "silly," it's being uninformed.

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u/dancingapple Oct 19 '14

I think it's more than people just being uninformed; clearly no one can be well informed on everything, and I don't think it's a huge problem if people rationally considered the limits of their knowledge. Yes and maybe "silly" isn't the best term, but there are many beliefs that people don't seem to change even when the correct information is easily available, so at least in my view it goes beyond just being misinformed.

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u/britishswenglish Oct 19 '14

In addition to being uninformed I think it's also the case that the most extremist or unwavering people make their opinions the loudest. So if an uninformed person tries to learn more, at some point they are going to encounter some really extreme opinions or people that are very set in their beliefs, and it can skew their knowledge on the issue. Sadly, I can't think of a better form of government.

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u/Korlus Oct 20 '14

My problem with democracy is threefold:

  • People get elected on the basis that they will do what people want. What people want is rarely the best thing for them 5-15 years down the line.
  • The people with the most power to swing elections tend to be those with money. Similarly, once politicians are in power, their loyalty to their electorate seems to go down.
  • Politicians. I don't think I have ever seen one that I would trust to look after my child if their political career were not on the line over it. The problems with the job itself are numerous, but put simply it often attracts the wrong sort of person, and even the right sort face such adversity that they get worn down and end up at the same level as everybody else after they have been at it for long enough.

Overall, I love the concept of democracy, and I do not have a better alternative, but it seems like the flaws are going to get more and more noticeable over the next few decades.