People like to feel comfortable. This universal truth brings to light a core element of human nature: our affinity for clinging to a good topic. Not only does it save us from grappling with complex issues, but it also creates a soft intellectual cushion on which we can settle.
“The clichés portray us because they are the symptoms of common beliefs,” explains philosopher Aurelio Arteta (Sangüesa, 1945). As a professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV), Arteta has previously dissected one of society’s most entrenched yet questionable commonplaces: Are all opinions truly equal and respectable?
This leaves us grappling with several key questions: What does it mean to ‘respect an opinion’? Are we being intolerant if we dare to question it? And ultimately, what is worthy of respect—the opinion itself or the person behind it?
“Confront Them, Don’t Juxtapose Them”
Arteta invites us to reconsider the notion that all opinions must be respected. “If that were the case, questioning them would be pointless,” he argues. “Each opinion’s degree of truth would become irrelevant, as everyone would possess equal value and validity.” This perspective implies that if every opinion requires no scrutiny, they lose their significance entirely.
According to this Navarrese philosopher, a respectful approach must be open and tolerant, yet rooted in the critical examination of ideas. “Respecting opinions means confronting them with each other, not merely allowing them to coexist untouched,” he asserts. In Arteta’s view, respect is inherently tied to the individual, which often occurs independently of their opinions.
In response to likely indignance—”But you’re not trying to convince me!”—Arteta clarifies, “Persuasion via reasoning shouldn’t be equated with imposition. Such thinking reflects the depths of societal stupidity.”
Upholding such a position isn’t straightforward. It requires diligent effort—thinking, reasoning, and daring to engage in a potential clash of ideas that might provoke a reassessment of our own beliefs. This is especially significant as clichés often act as a social adhesive.
The Challenge of Clichés
“By repeating clichés, we attempt to conform within a group, to blend in with our peers, to don the current fashion,” Arteta notes. The philosopher isn’t alone in this sentiment. He joins others, like José Antonio Marina, who have highlighted what true intellectual respect entails: dismantling outdated clichés and trite phrases like “I respect your ideas, but I don’t share them.”
Marina once emphasized that the essence of freedom of expression and thought protects individuals, not the content of their opinions. “That opinion can be absurd or aggressive,” he states, asserting that genuine opinions must derive their legitimacy from valid sources—math for mathematical claims, geography for geographical assertions. If someone asserts that the Earth is flat, he suggests, while they are free to express this, they are not qualified to teach geography.
The Nature of Ideas and Cognitive Closure
Our tendency to elevate ideas to an untouchable status relates closely to our psychology. Psychologist Arie Kruglanski has articulated this phenomenon as the need for cognitive closure. Humans typically resist uncertainty, prompting us to hastily forge convictions and demand respect for these unyielding beliefs, thereby avoiding a reevaluation of our perspectives.
This introspection suggests that while we must strive for openness and respect, we must also retain the courage to challenge prevailing opinions. Only then can genuine dialogue flourish, leading to richer and more informed views.
Images | Carlos Torres (Unsplash)