Articles

Incivil society
Aiming for dialogue, not anger

Insulting one another seems to be in vogue today; it has become the new normal in social interaction, and social media has given it a platform. Indeed, we have differing ideas about critical moral, social or political issues that often stem from our own life experiences, our culture, our faith traditions. Yet do these differences have to divide us? How can they be expressed without alienating and offending others? As a way to counteract the trend to seek affirmation for our already formed views, some people share how they respond with respect and love to insults. Handling our emotion and journeying together can give us the opportunity to create a new culture, a “culture of encounter,” as Pope Francis describes it, and maybe even discover a common thread that links us together.