Often when reading commentary, I’ll see this line: “everybody should read this, whether you agree with them or not,” or something similar (see this movie, hear what they have to say, etc.). Have you ever said that about something with which you disagree? Like, “Man, I really disagree with everything this guy had to say but you should listen to him – it’s good stuff.” What? The only time I’ve seen anything similar is more along the lines of, “Get a load of this crap,” or “This is what the opposition is saying; study it and prepare a rebuttal.” The only time I’ve ever seen anyone suggest an article/book/movie/etc. as “food for thought” is when they agree with the author and think everybody else should too. Or at least “see it from their point of view,” “understand where they’re coming from,” and all that nonsense. If I come across something that I believe to be patently incorrect, I might point it out with a thorough critique of why it’s wrong, but I’m not going to tell everybody they should check it out. Why should I spread ideas that I don’t agree with?
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