A long, long time ago (I can still faintly remember it) it was possible to convince people with arguments. I know this because I was pretty good at it. My opinions were well-founded, my arguments well constructed and prepared for possible counter-arguments. Often enough, my counterpart had no choice but to silently and contritely acknowledge that he was quite wrong with his half-baked and immature views.
At that time I did not know fanatics, people in abysmal pain. The people in this pain are increasing in the present time, or rather: they are coming more into the public with their pain. They become more visible in a society, in which the compulsion to homogeneity begins to crumble, because the valid homogeneity – the capitalistic materialism for many no more home represents. With them now I remain speechless after an exchange of opinions. Not because they have the better arguments, but because good arguments no longer count. Because only statements count and it is with these statements only about whether they support the own opinion or not. Whether one can find oneself in the lonely pain of the statement or not. There it is then quite usual to call everything what is published by a certain as negatively perceived organization a controlled lie and in the same moment however a certain publication of this organization, which fits into the own scheme, as proof of the own argumentation to add. Then, all of a sudden, it is no longer a controlled lie, but the (fitting) truth… In the end, it does not matter who makes which statements, if they only support one’s own image. And many statements are made worldwide. Very many…
The argument is dead. Recognizing the better argument requires an approach to one’s interlocutor. A basis on which one can meet – and remain after the argument. This basis no longer exists among many people, because capitalist materialism has disembodied them. Has robbed them of their perception of this basis. Has put them in panic fear, keeps them there and leaves them in their loneliness. It is no longer possible to acknowledge the better argument, because it is a fight for life and death. Arguments are weapons and in such a fight all weapons are allowed. The main thing is to win. And so the huge arsenal of opinions is sifted through. For hours in front of the screen. And in the end, you’ve built a bastion of opinions and think that you no longer feel so alone, but connected with those who share the same fear.
You are right. Her fear and pain are well-founded. Your loneliness is real. You only lack the words and therefore the perception. And when they perceive something, they censor themselves and think that they can’t bring that up after all. That is not factual enough. And so they hang there in their wars of materialism. And don’t get out of there and don’t get to where their healing would be. Because the one and only argument – which all of them also know deep inside, but cannot name – is: „Materialism steals my soul!“