3 Reasons Facebook is Lousy for Discussing Politics, Theology, and Science
And why you're better off reading a book instead
If there is anything about human nature that I’ve learned after over half a century of independent thought, it’s these three things:
People are generally overconfident of their own cognitive abilities;
They are generally overly critical of others;
And few people actually understand how to conduct effective research and draw a proper conclusion.
The first two are sins of which we are all guilty to varying degrees at different times. The third one isn’t a sin, but is a learned skill that most people simply haven’t taken the time to develop. Yet, despite these three generally common characteristics of the human element, we still attempt to engage in discussions of complex topics on a medium that wasn’t created for it.
Facebook was designed to be the online equivalent of a college frat party. People use it like a boxing ring. Below are three reasons why it’s a lousy place to discuss politics, theology, or science.
Facebook is two-dimensional
Critical analysis requires an open mind. Most people don’t have one. In fact, it would be safe to say that most people have already made up their minds on most things before the discussion begins. For that reason, trying to discuss anything that requires nuanced thinking, critical analysis, and deep research is certain to turn out badly.
A two-dimensional platform allows users to post comments that are easy to misunderstand, misconstrue, or take the wrong way. And if one isn’t willing to ask clarifying questions to better understand what the other party is trying to say, this limitation is impossible to overcome.
Facebook Rewards the Foolish
Proverbs 18:2 (Berean Bible Study) says “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.”
A person trying to understand a difficult and complex issue will research it and study it from various angles. This requires time and commitment. In politics, for instance, rarely are complex social and economic issues so cut and dry, yet most people—liberals and conservatives alike—think in terms of black vs. white. Life is messy, and so is politics. If one is to understand the many complexities of human behavior (of which politics is the governing science), one must be willing to hear more than just a single voice and consider more than a single outcome.
One could say the same of theology, a branch of philosophy. Most people are uncomfortable with incomplete knowledge of a subject or admitting they have not yet arrived at a conclusion. Yet, the mere nature of the subject matter (the unfathomable, eternal, and supernatural) is baffling to the finite human mind.
I don’t know how science came to be so controversial, but many modern scientific issues have become political battlegrounds, places where anyone with an opinion and lack of knowledge can declare themselves equal with those who have spent years studying one specific subject. And Facebook is the perfect place to let the world know just how much you don’t.
Facebook is a Multi-Party Threaded Brain Distraction
As I said above, Facebook was designed to be the online equivalent of a college fraternity party. For those concerned with gender equality, it could the online equivalent of a sorority slumber party. Either way, it’s more enjoyable with a beer in your hand than it is with a serious look and a reference volume of encyclopedias.
For one thing, any discussion is open to a large group of individuals who can just pop in to state their two cents in the middle of a discussion without any consideration of the foregoing context. Unless you limit the discussion to one or two friends, you’ll likely get input from people you haven’t spoken to in years simply because their algorithm suggested your thread to them based on recent reading history. That’s a lousy environment for a serious discussion of any kind.
Since discussions are threaded, conversation can splinter into unlimited side discussions that often have nothing to do with the original content. Before the end of the discussion, you aren’t even talking about the same topic you started with.
Maybe You Should Just Read a Book Instead
If a serious discussion is what you’d like to have, you might be better off with a book. The book won’t talk back to you, but you can immerse yourself in the lives of its characters, and that could be intellectually stimulating on its own. Facebook is shallow; books—good ones—are not.
If you’re going to read a book, I have a recommendation. Try reading some part of the Bible. You can fill your appetite for drama without wasting time in a two-dimensional multi-threaded party room that rewards the foolish.
Allen Taylor is the founder and publisher of Crux Publications. He has been walking (and wavering) with the Lord for 28 years. He has served local churches as a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, a worship leader, a prayer group leader, and a minister of the Word. His journey isn’t over yet, and he still needs discipling.
“I am Not the King” is a personal testimony of how Jesus Christ has worked in my life. It is available at Amazon and Smashwords.