Fact-based Decisions: A New American Way of Thinking
To truly achieve a democratic way of thinking, Americans must look past their one-sided beliefs. They must understand that the world operates from different sides. They must understand that reality, much like their favorite television show, is continuing whether they agree with it or not.
The Inspiration
In last night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, America cried as O’Malley raged against his colleagues for performing a dangerous surgery on his father. His father had insisted they go through with the surgery, no matter how much his son resisted. As a result, his life hangs in the balance for one more week.
Great television. Great philosophy. The doctors seemed to be fulfilling the wishes of their patient, who wanted nothing more than to live. In the process, they overlooked one major detail.
(As O’Malley so profoundly put it…) The risk of surgery was too great. Without it, his family could have had weeks, months to say goodbye to him.
His father didn’t know any better; they did.
America hung on every word as the doctors defended themselves. Our hearts ached for them, knowing they had fulfilled a dying man’s wishes at all costs. We never considered another side to this story until O’Malley pointed out the obvious. His father had no medical knowledge of the risks. His father had only personal interpretation, a personal opinion of what would work best. In life or death, black and white, yes or no, there is no room for an uneducated opinion. And for once in our lives, last night America understood that.
The Effect
There is a defined line between fact and opinion that is often overlooked by the uneducated. Basic philosophy teaches that opinions can never be proven, only argued in an educated manor. Since this is undeniably the case, neither can any one be more right or more wrong than another. Unfortunately, opinions can most certainly be argued better or worse, causing them to seem much more factual than they really are.
Such is the case in the everyday lives of Americans. Each of us walks this Earth with stout opinions, the majority of which we will argue to no end. Some of us argue them exquisitely. We rarely stop to consider the origin of these views on politics, religion, love, life, wrong, right. In most cases, we can’t even pinpoint when they came to be. But they are our opinions and as Americans we have the right to them. And as Americans we reserve our right to voice them and to vote for officials who voice them too. And we argue our points of view and present them as facts to the opposition. And we shun nonbelievers and anyone else who resists our way of thinking. And we pat ourselves on the back for standing up for what we believe in and all is well and good in this free, opinionated country of ours.
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