A note on bubbles

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” – To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee.

I read the Daily Mail. Shocker, I know. Now let me explain why.

Millions of people in the UK read this publication on a regular or daily basis. For some, it’s their main news source. Not only that, but they also believe the majority of what is printed in this paper. And they agree with the opinions and viewpoints extolled by its reporters, journalists and contributors too.

Here, I should say that I also read The Guardian, what is left of The Independent, the BBC and Al Jazeera. I try to get my news from various publications, written from different perspectives, with varying viewpoints. Sometimes I agree with what is being said, sometimes I don’t and sometimes it’s just an interesting read.

And the reason I make an effort to try and read all of these publications? It’s simple: I don’t want to live in a bubble.

I believe that living in a bubble in this day and age is a very dangerous thing to do as an individual. Sure, it’s nice in your bubble, where everyone has the same opinions as you and it feels safe. But bubbles blinker you. You’re just burying your head in the sand.

Because those people who have those opposing viewpoints, they’re still out there. They’re still at large and they still count. They may even be in the majority.

In his farewell speech, outgoing President Obama said:

‘We all have to try harder. We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens… value hard work and family just like we do… And that’s not easy to do. For too many of us, it’s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions… we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether it’s true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. Without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point… then we’re going to keep talking past each other, and we’ll make common ground and compromise impossible.’

Let’s not live in bubbles. We should all read publications that make us angry and despair at the world. In my case, the Daily Mail (particularly the comments sections) often makes me feel like I want to cry with frustration. It’d be good to try to shatter our illusions by getting out there and talking to people with different viewpoints. We should try to see the world, however briefly, whilst standing in someone else’s shoes. Try to understand where people get their ideas from. We can always retreat to our bubbles when it all gets a bit much, but at least we’ve made an effort to understand the world from another perspective.

Then, at least, common ground and compromise may still be possible.