By Sean M. Gancer
There is a saying that the smallest minority in the world is the individual. I would add independent thinkers to that saying– along with the isolation one feels from not conforming to status quo philosophy. As one who has chosen a career in academia, the isolation from thinking outside of contemporary circles can make you question your beliefs; however, being able to question one’s beliefs is a good trait, but conforming for the sake of fitting in is not. We are so accustomed to prescribed, compulsory information and curriculums. It has narrowed our ability to think holistically and outside of mainstream thought. I have developed the ability to transcend typical ideas and debates and form a genuine perspective of my own from a variety of sources. But in the last few years, the effort to instill a healthy skepticism and abstract thinking ability into my students has been complicated by group identity politics and mainstream narratives. Currently, there is an encouragement to scorn and attack people who have different ideas than you. Our youth are exposed to this type of behavior constantly through television and other forms of media. Each day, they are introduced to terrible ideas and even worse character. Trying to stand up to the onslaught of bad philosophy has been an insurmountable task– one that has exhausted me and caused me to lose hope. Although well-intended, I have managed to upset people that I care for and admire– even if it was in an attempt to help and reason with them. Being an independent thinker in a world of fleeting ideas and bad philosophy developed on a whim has become too much. I have felt like a bit of an outcast in an effort to simply debate these perspectives. These last several months have made me feel hollow.
