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August 23, 2008

Comments

abfh

I think that blogging can go a long way toward getting more visibility for alternative points of view. Because there are so many people from different cultures involved in blogging, our prejudices are more likely to be challenged.

Ed

I agree ABFH. I also believe that less formally educated people and (non educated people like myself) can and often are less likely to be accepting of alternative points of view. Oppression can feed on itself just like ignorance and one can create the other.

When in places where expressing your point in the most educated way is seen as the best view, many without a formal education either won't comment or will not feel comfortable doing so and sabotage their successful communication . This is true in schools as it it is on the internet.

It would help a lot if more less educated people would understood that they had access (through libraries and such)to more information and were taught the importance of learning it. Although many people don't have access to that either.

The thing is though that when uneducated people see that the information they are privy to doesn't include the reality they know to be true (which is actually makes it completely untrue because it doesn't include the majority view) they often don't have a lot of faith in the accuracy of any more official appearing report.

It's just like while voter's make a difference, until most people vote, the difference will most likely favor the voters who are described as being the most of everyone even if they aren't.

It can become superfluous to debate which view is best when the the evaluation process is only accepting of what is best due to an unfair and therefore inaccurate method of judgement.

People who aren't accustomed to having what they say be seen as valid aren't as likely to voice their view. When they do they may be socially awkward and even break a lot of the rules considered to be common courtesy and they will be more likely to be expected to break this cycle although they are in the most difficult position to do that.

Remember that when autistics are lacking in this regard it may be an even more difficult to break the cycle because society has influenced many people (too often even the autistic themselves and even other autistics which really makes it difficult) that autistics are lacking empathy to other peoples views just due to them being autistic. Narrowness of views can be very productive in less social situations and it isn't necessarily a product of an over inflated ego.

My question is how do we (including we as bloggers)promote a larger and more truly educated culture.

Ranting on about my own narrow view is certainly not conducive to promoting the kind of discussion that will bring attention to the subject I feel is important....So, what's the answer?

abfh

To bring more people into the discussion, I'd say. Blogging also helps with that because people don't have to be educated or have a high social status to write blogs, and they don't have to follow any particular rules when they do. That makes the Internet much more democratic than other parts of society. Of course, there are still many people worldwide who do not have Internet access, but it is becoming more widely available.

As you say, there are some people who have been taught to believe that their opinions have no value, so they do not even try to express themselves. I agree that this is a failure of our educational system.

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