Discussions about Sustainability

I often find myself amid discussions. About things like global warming. Health. Systems Change. What’s right to do and what is not. Where to intervene in the system. And where not. Often, discussions around these topics (and many others) are bound never to end.

To win an argument, we have to have sufficient evidence. This evidence is usually most compelling when it is statistically significant.
If there are no, or insufficient, numbers to base an argument on, another mechanism takes over: belief. And often, this is all we got. And belief is based on very ways of being and perceiving the world. Believes are often forgotten to be considered when we argue.

For example: when my worldview is based on the idea that technological progress will solve most problems, I come to very different conclusions about interventions such as climate engineering or medical treatments compared to when my belief is that technology is the cause of many problems and wrong in this world.

If these underlying assumptions remain hidden, discussions can be fruitless and hostile. If these assumptions are made apparent, I have the chance to learn that other people see the world differently from myself. I get the opportunity to at least start imagining what conclusions I might come up with if I saw the world through their minds.