nerdy friends & conversations

That's the value of maintaining a friendship with someone you disagree with. We don't learn as much from people who think the way we do, yet most of us spend too much time huddled together with just such people. And we compound the inbreeding of our thoughts by reading only those publications that appeal to our leanings.

i forget where i found the aforementioned quote, so please know that it is not my intent to discredit the author.

with that said, i think that the aforementioned statement speaks volumes about what is present in most academical villages, but is lacking in the real world. when i was attending the university, it was very common to be engaged in conversations with individuals of differing backgrounds. this may have been due to the composition of the student body, or it may have been by the choice to engage said conversation. regardless, it is something that one must make a concerted effort to achieve today.

those conversation are a marvelous way to pass the hours of the day... historically, there have been many who say that passing the day with intellectually stimulating banter is a waste of time. i ardently disagree with this statement... this is the basis for searching for answers. what answers? it depends... depends on the heftiness of the conversation... while your conversation may not yield the solution to the world hunger equation, it may yield a deeper understanding of one's personal ideologue. in order to know where one stands on social issues, one ought examine their stance, especially when it is challenged. while being able to defend an issue is admirable, being able to convince a person of an opposing view means you truly have a grasp on that idea/notion/ideologue.

even if you are not trying to further examine, having conversations with those of opposing view or backgrounds helps one to learn... if nothing else, another approach to a solution, or a solution that you may not have come up with on your own.

when one engages another of an opposing view in dialogue, more often than not, one must step outside his or her comfort zone to accomplish this. generally, i find that the folks one surrounds oneself with are generally of fundamentally similar beliefs. while the thought of a liberal lesbian from new york and a conservative, republican middle-aged woman from omaha may seem egregious to some... i can fathom it.

when one is able to engage these conversations, one does not define himself or herself in a monolithic manner. one can be this and that.... lesbian & conservative; liberal & opposed to same sex marriages; republican on some policies & democratic on others...

while i'm definitely this and that, urban & preppie... my language is colloquial and proper... i stand firmly on some issues... and others, i'm situational... there are caveats that would change my view... am i ambiguous? perhaps... i prefer to think that i'm aware that there are VERY few absolutes... i like to question things... i've got a curious nature... and that nature leads me to engage in conversations with those that aren't necessarily like me...

hopefully, there are others that too like to engage in such conversations... a certain engin-nerd that i'm partial to does, but only for deeper exploration or a topic, not mere banter.

i say, let the banter and conversations continue... for i'll gladly participate!