I'm sure you all have heard some variation of that or the accusation that we live in echo chambers and don't like hearing opposing views. I recently got into a debate in a comic book group on facebook I used to belong to (yes, I know I was naive to think that they would actually be a group of fans). A lady gave a long winded post on diversity and the usual talking points that we hear about today and to top it off she added some tweet from Tanahesi (not sure if I spelled his name right and don't care) Coates where he said something along the lines of wanting his comic books to make people feel uncomfortable.
I should've just unsubbed from the group then and there but I couldn't resist the urge to give some pushback. She gave me all the usual talking points and then said one of the most overused phrase.... "comic books have always been political". All I had said was that the hyperfocus on diversity is killing comic books and that when your job is to entertain it is pretty stupid to purposely alienate half the fanbase and attack white males for no reason when they make up a good chunk of readers.
It turned into a longer discussion than I intended and then she prattled on about race and stopped talking to me when I told her that racism is not a major issue today contrary to what the media says. I did tell her that the main race issues today are that we have a massive demand but low supply (hence all the race hoaxes), and that we constantly talk about racism as a society, but openly cheer it on if it is against white people. She then said that she couldn't believe a black man could be so brainwashed and ended the conversation and blocked me.
It just cracks me up when I hear either I don't like my views to be challenged or that I am in an echo chamber. They act as if we don't hear opposing viewpoints. It is kind of difficult now especially if you watch any modern day entertainment. Most of what I watch now is older stuff (2014 and prior) but even so much of the news has a clear agenda and for young people it has always been cool to be on the left. As I mentioned before, I'm black so outside of my immediate family who all leans to the right pretty much all of my extended family is all on the left so I have heard all about the greatness of "free stuff", how horrible and racist America is (usually said by a cousin with a six figure salary that lives in a nice suburban home), or the evils of the republican party.
One cousin stopped talking to me for almost a year during the "summer of love" for saying that I care much more about David Dorn and his family as well as the white mother who was killed for saying All Lives Matter and that I really wasn't concerned too much about Floyd or Jacob Blake. He gave me the usual insults and stated that I may have brown skin but I inherited my personality from my white ancestors.
I honestly don't understand how they can say with a straight face that we don't hear opposing viewpoints.
There probably aren't too many people in the world who enjoy having their views challenged, but anyone who tries to be intellectually honest realizes that doing so is often a painful necessity to maintain that honesty. We can all fall into logical and emotional traps, but pitting your ideas against someone who has different ones can both sharpen your own, and burn away what needs to be left behind. Either way, it's enriching for you.
Very true.