Why it's worth listening to people you disagree with | Zachary R. Wood

Prevoditelj: Lidija Funtek Recezent: Sanda L

In 1994,

Godine 1994.

Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein coauthored "The Bell Curve,"

Charles Murray i Richard Herrnstein izdali su "The Bell Curve",

an extremely controversial book

veoma kontroverznu knjigu

which claims that on average,

u kojoj tvrde da su u prosjeku

some races are smarter and more likely to succeed than others.

neke rase pametnije od drugih i imaju veće šanse za uspjeh.

Murray and Herrnstein also suggest

Murray i Herrnstein također tvrde

that a lack of critical intelligence explains the prominence of violent crime

da je nedostatak kritičkog razmišljanja razlog visoke stope zločina

in poor African-American communities.

u siromašnim afričko-američkim zajednicama.

But Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein are not the only people who think this.

No, Murray i Herrnstein nisu jedini koji tako razmišljaju.

In 2012,

Godine 2012.

a writer, journalist and political commentator named John Derbyshire

pisac, novinar i politički komentator, John Derbyshire,

wrote an article that was supposed to be a non-black version of the talk

napisao je članak po uzoru na savjete

that many black parents feel they have to give their kids today:

koje mnogi Afroamerikanci daju svojoj djeci:

advice on how to stay safe.

savjeti kako ostati na sigurnom.

In it, he offered suggestions such as:

U članku daje savjete poput:

"Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks,"

"Ne odlazite na događaje gdje bi moglo biti puno crnaca,"

"Stay out of heavily black neighborhoods"

"Klonite se izrazito crnačkih četvrti"

and "Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in distress."

i "Ne pomažite crncima u nevolji."

And yet, in 2016, I invited John Derbyshire

No, 2016. godine pozvao sam Johna Derbyshirea

as well as Charles Murray

i Charlesa Murraya

to speak at my school,

da održe govor u mojoj školi,

knowing full well that I would be giving them a platform and attention

dobro znajući da im dajem prostor i pažnju

for ideas that I despised and rejected.

da govore o stvarima koje prezirem i odbacujem.

But this is just a further evolution

No, to je samo još jedan korak

of a journey of uncomfortable learning throughout my life.

na mojem životnom putovanju učenja neugodnih stvari.

When I was 10 years old, my mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia,

Kada sam imao 10 godina, mojoj majci dijagnosticirana je šizofrenija,

a mental illness characterized by mood swings and paranoid delusions.

duševna bolest poznata po promjenama raspoloženja i paranoji.

Throughout my life, my mother's rage would turn our small house

Majčin bijes uvijek bi našu malu kuću

into a minefield.

pretvorio u bojno polje.

Yet, though I feared her rage on a daily basis,

Ipak, iako sam se svakodnevno bojao njezinog bijesa,

I also learned so much from her.

mnogo sam od nje i naučio.

Our relationship was complicated and challenging,

Naš odnos bio je kompliciran i težak,

and at the age of 14, it was decided that I needed to live apart from her.

a kad sam imao 14 godina, odlučeno je da više ne mogu živjeti s njom.

But over the years,

No, tijekom godina

I've come to appreciate some of the important lessons

naučio sam cijeniti neke važne životne lekcije

my mother taught me about life.

koje sam naučio od majke.

She was the first person who spoke to me about learning from the other side.

Bila je prva koja je sa mnom razgovarala o učenju s druge točke gledišta.

And she, like me, was born and raised

Poput mene, rođena je i odrasla

in a family of committed liberal democrats.

u obitelji predanih liberalnih demokrata.

Yet, she encouraged me to see the world and the issues our world faces

No, poticala me da gledam na probleme s kojima se naš svijet suočava

as complex, controversial and ever-changing.

kao složene, kontroverzne i promjenjive.

One day, I came across the phrase "affirmative action"

Jednog dana, čitajući knjigu, naišao sam na pojam

in a book I was reading.

"pozitivno djelovanje".

And when I asked her what the term meant,

Kada sam je pitao što to znači,

she spent what felt like an hour

imao sam osjećaj da mi sat vremena

giving me a thorough and thoughtful explanation

detaljno i pažljivo objašnjava,

that would make sense to a small child.

tako da i malo dijete može shvatiti.

She even made the topic sound at least as interesting

Učinila je tu temu zanimljivom

as any of my professors have.

poput profesora u školi.

She explained the many reasons why people of various political views

Objasnila je mnoge razloge zašto ljudi različitih političkih uvjerenja

challenge and support affirmative action,

odbijaju i prihvaćaju pozitivno djelovanje,

stressing that, while she strongly supported it herself,

naglašavajući da, iako ga ona podržava,

it was important for me to view the issue as a controversial one

važno je da shvatim kontroverznost problema

with a long history,

koji ima dugu povijest,

a questionable future

upitnu budućnost

and a host of complicating factors.

i mnogo otežavajućih faktora.

While affirmative action can increase the presence of minorities

Iako pozitivno djelovanje može povećati prisutnost manjina

at elite educational institutions,

na elitnim obrazovnim institucijama,

she felt that it could also disadvantage hardworking people of different races

smatrala je da bi moglo naštetiti marljivim ljudima različitih rasa

from more affluent backgrounds.

koji dolaze iz imućnijih obitelji.

My mom wanted me to understand

Moja majka je željela da shvatim

that I should never just write off opinions

kako nikada ne bih trebao samo odbaciti mišljenja

that I disagreed with or disliked,

s kojima se ne slažem ili koja mi se ne sviđaju,

because there was always something to learn from the perspectives of others,

jer se uvijek nešto može naučiti iz tuđe perspektive,

even when doing so might be difficult.

čak i kada to može biti teško.

But life at home with my mom

No, život s mojom majkom

was not the only aspect of my journey that has been formative and uncomfortable.

nije bila jedina formativna i neugodna stanica na mom putovanju.

In fourth grade, she decided that I should attend a private school

U četvrtom razredu odlučila je da bih trebao pohađati privatnu školu

in order to receive the best education possible.

kako bih dobio najbolje moguće obrazovanje.

As a black student attending predominantly white private schools,

Kao Afroamerikanac u uglavnom bjelačkoj privatnoj školi,

I've encountered attitudes and behaviors that reflected racial stereotypes.

suočio sam se sa stavovima i ponašanjima koja su odražavala rasne stereotipe.

Several of my friends' parents assumed within minutes of meeting me

Nekoliko roditelja mojih prijatelja, odmah nakon što su me upoznali,

that my best skill was playing basketball.

pretpostavili su da mi košarka najbolje ide.

And it really upset me to think that my race made it harder for them

Stvarno me uzrujalo što im je moja boja kože onemogućila

to see me as a student who loved reading, writing and speaking.

da me vide kao učenika koji voli čitati, pisati i govoriti.

Experiences like this motivated me to work tirelessly

Slična iskustva potaknula su me da neumorno radim

to disprove what I knew people had assumed.

na opovrgavanju onoga što sam znao da ljudi pretpostavljaju.

My mother even said that, in order to put my best foot forward,

Majka mi je čak rekla da, ako želim ostaviti dobar dojam,

I had to be patient, alert and excruciatingly well-mannered.

moram biti strpljiv, na oprezu i bolno pristojan.

To prove that I belonged, I had to show poise and confidence,

Kako bih dokazao da pripadam, morao sam biti staložen i samouvjeren

the ability to speak well and listen closely.

te govoriti lijepo i pažljivo slušati.

Only then would my peers see that I deserved to be there

Tek tada će moji vršnjaci shvatiti da zaslužujem biti tamo

as much as they did.

baš kao i oni.

Despite this racial stereotyping and the discomfort I often felt,

Unatoč rasnim stereotipima i neugodi koju sam često osjećao,

the learning I gained from other aspects of being at an elite private school

ono što sam naučio od drugih tijekom boravka u elitnoj privatnoj školi

were incredibly valuable.

bilo je neprocjenjivo.

I was encouraged by my teachers to explore my curiosity,

Profesori su me ohrabrili da istražim svoju znatiželju,

to challenge myself in new ways

postavim si nove izazove

and to deepen my understanding of subjects that fascinated me the most.

i produbim razumijevanje onoga što me najviše zanima.

And going to college was the next step.

Odlazak na fakultet bio je sljedeći korak.

I was excited to take my intellectual drive and interest in the world of ideas

Bio sam uzbuđen što ću svoj intelekt i zanimanje za svijet ideja

to the next level.

prenijeti na novu razinu.

I was eager to engage in lively debate with peers and professors

Bio sam željan upustiti se u žive rasprave s vršnjacima, profesorima

and with outside speakers;

i ostalim govornicima;

to listen, to learn and gain a deeper understanding of myself

slušati, učiti i produbiti znanje o sebi

and of others.

i drugima.

While I was fortunate to meet peers and professors

Iako sam imao sreće sresti vršnjake i profesore

who were interested in doing the same thing,

koji su i sami htjeli to isto,

my desire to engage with difficult ideas was also met with resistance.

moja želja da se suočim s izazovnim idejama naišla je i na otpor.

To prepare myself to engage with controversy in the real world,

Kako bih se pripremio za suočavanje s kontroverzom u pravom svijetu,

I joined a group that brought controversial speakers to campus.

pridružio sam se grupi koja je u kampus dovodila kontroverzne govornike.

But many people fiercely opposed this group,

No, mnogo ljudi protivilo se toj grupi

and I received significant pushback

i zbog toga sam se suočio s otporom

from students, faculty and my administration.

studenata, osoblja i administracije.

For many, it was difficult to see

Mnogima je bilo teško shvatiti

how bringing controversial speakers to campus could be valuable,

kako bi dovođenje kontroverznih govornika u kampus bila dobra stvar,

when they caused harm.

kada je očito štetilo svima.

And it was disappointing to me facing personal attacks,

Razočaralo me što sam morao trpjeti osobne napade,

having my administration cancel speakers

otkazivanje govora od strane administracije

and hearing my intentions distorted by those around me.

i krivo tumačenje mojih namjera.

My work also hurt the feelings of many,

Moj rad povrijedio je mnoge

and I understood that.

i to mi je bilo jasno.

Of course, no one likes being offended,

Naravno da nitko ne voli kad ga se vrijeđa,

and I certainly don't like hearing controversial speakers

ni ja nisam volio slušati kontroverzne govornike

argue that feminism has become a war against men

kako govore da je feminizam prerastao u rat protiv muškaraca,

or that blacks have lower IQs than whites.

ili da crnci imaju niži IQ od bijelaca.

I also understand

Bilo mi je jasno

that some people have experienced traumatic experiences in their lives.

i da su neki ljudi proživjeli traumatična iskustva.

And for some, listening to offensive views

Za neke od njih, slušanje uvredljivih stajališta

can be like reliving the very traumas that they've worked so hard to overcome.

može biti poput oživljavanja trauma koje su se toliko trudili pobijediti.

Many argue that by giving these people a platform,

Mnogi su se složili da davanjem prostora tim ljudima

you're doing more harm than good,

činimo više zla nego dobra

and I'm reminded of this every time I listen to these points of view

i toga se sjetim svaki puta kada čujem taj argument

and feel my stomach turn.

i želudac mi se okrene.

Yet, tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn't make them go away,

No, ignoriranje suprotnih mišljenja neće učiniti da ona nestanu,

because millions of people agree with them.

zato jer se milijuni ljudi slažu s njima.

In order to understand the potential of society

Kako bismo razumjeli sposobnost društva

to progress forward,

da napreduje,

we need to understand the counterforces.

moramo razumjeti i sile koje ga vuku unatrag.

By engaging with controversial and offensive ideas,

Suočavajući se s kontroverznim i uvredljivim idejama,

I believe that we can find common ground,

mislim da možemo pronaći zajedničko gledište,

if not with the speakers themselves,

ako već ne kroz govornike,

then with the audiences they may attract or indoctrinate.

onda kroz publiku koju oni privlače ili indoktriniraju.

Through engaging, I believe that we may reach a better understanding,

Smatram da suočavanjem možemo postići bolje razumijevanje,

a deeper understanding,

dublje razumijevanje

of our own beliefs

naših vjerovanja

and preserve the ability to solve problems,

i sačuvati sposobnost rješavanja problema,

which we can't do if we don't talk to each other

što ne možemo ako ne razgovaramo jedni s drugima

and make an effort to be good listeners.

i ako se ne trudimo pažljivo slušati.

But soon after I announced

Nedugo nakon što sam objavio

that John Derbyshire would be speaking on campus,

da će John Derbyshire gostovati u kampusu,

student backlash erupted on social media.

društvene mreže preplavio je otpor studenata.

The tide of resistance, in fact, was so intense,

Zapravo, otpor je bio toliko jak,

that my college president rescinded the invitation.

da je predsjednik fakulteta povukao poziv.

I was deeply disappointed by this because, as I saw it,

To me jako razočaralo jer, kako sam ja to shvatio,

there would be nothing that any of my peers or I could do

ništa što bih ja ili moji vršnjaci učinili,

to silence someone who agreed with him

ne bi nadjačalo nekoga tko se složio s njime

in the office environment of our future employers.

u uredu naših budućih poslodavaca.

I look out at what's happening on college campuses,

Pratim što se događa u sveučilišnim kampusima

and I see the anger.

i vidim ljutnju.

And I get it.

I razumijem.

But what I wish I could tell people is that it's worth the discomfort,

No, želio bih da mogu objasniti ljudima da je vrijedno te neugode,

it's worth listening,

vrijedi slušati

and that we're stronger, not weaker, because of it.

i zbog toga smo jači, a ne slabiji.

When I think about my experiences with uncomfortable learning,

Kada se sjetim svojih iskustava s neugodnim učenjem

and I reflect upon them,

i razmislim o njima,

I've found that it's been very difficult to change the values

shvatim da je bilo jako teško promijeniti vrijednosti

of the intellectual community that I've been a part of.

intelektualne zajednice kojoj sam pripadao.

But I do feel a sense of hope

No, osjećam tračak nade

when I think about the individual interactions that I've been able to have

kada se sjetim pojedinačnih razgovora

with students who both support the work that I'm doing

s onim studentima koji podržavaju moj rad

and who feel challenged by it and who do not support it.

i smatraju ga izazovom, te s onima koji se ne slažu.

What I've found is that,

Shvatio sam da,

while it can be difficult to change the values of a community,

iako može biti teško promijeniti vrijednosti zajednice,

we can gain a lot from individual interactions.

možemo puno dobiti kroz individualnu komunikaciju.

While I didn't get to engage with John Derbyshire

Unatoč tome što se nisam susreo s Johnom Derbyshireom,

due to my president's disinvitation,

zbog toga što je predsjednik povukao poziv,

I was able to have dinner with Charles Murray before his talk.

uspio sam večerati s Charlesom Murrayom prije njegovog govora.

I knew the conversation would be difficult.

Znao sam da će razgovor biti težak.

And I didn't expect it to be pleasant.

I nisam očekivao da će biti ugodan.

But it was cordial, and I did gain a deeper understanding of his arguments.

No, bio je srdačan i dobio sam dublji uvid u njegove argumente.

I found that he, like me, believed in creating a more just society.

Saznao sam da i on, poput mene, vjeruje u stvaranje pravednijeg društva.

The thing is, his understanding of what justice entailed

Stvar je u tome što se njegova definicija pravde

was very different from my own.

veoma razlikuje od moje.

The way in which he wanted to understand the issue,

Način na koji on želi razumjeti problem,

the way in which he wanted to approach the issue of inequality

način na koji on želi pristupiti problemu nejednakosti,

also differed from my own.

isto se razlikuje od mojeg.

And I found that his understanding of issues like welfare

Isto tako, njegov odnos prema problemima poput socijalne skrbi

and affirmative action

i pozitivnog djelovanja,

was tied and deeply rooted

duboko se temelji

in his understanding of various libertarian and conservative beliefs,

na njegovom razumijevanju raznih liberalnih i konzervativnih uvjerenja,

what diminishes and increases their presence in our society.

što smanjuje i povećava njihovu prisutnost u našem društvu.

While he expressed his viewpoints eloquently,

Iako je vrlo rječito izražavao svoja stajališta,

I remained thoroughly unconvinced.

nije me uspio uvjeriti u to.

But I did walk away with a deeper understanding.

No, nakon razgovora moje se razumijevanje produbilo.

It's my belief

Vjerujem

that to achieve progress in the face of adversity,

da ako želimo napredovati usprkos poteškoćama,

we need a genuine commitment

trebamo se iskreno posvetiti

to gaining a deeper understanding of humanity.

dubljem razumijevanju čovječanstva.

I'd like to see a world with more leaders

Želio bih vidjeti svijet čiji vođe

who are familiar with the depths of the views

su dobro upoznati sa stajalištima onih

of those they deeply disagree with,

s kojima se nikako ne slažu,

so that they can understand the nuances of everyone they're representing.

kako bi bolje razumjeli sve one koje zastupaju.

I see this as an ongoing process involving constant learning,

Vidim to kao kontinuirani proces koji uključuje stalno učenje

and I'm confident that I'll be able to add value down the line

i uvjeren sam da ću i ja tome pridonijeti,

if I continue building empathy and understanding

ako nastavim širiti empatiju i razumijevanje

through engaging with unfamiliar perspectives.

kroz suočavanje s drugačijim mišljenjima.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Pljesak)