The quote has been widely used lately since it touches upon something that most people experience today. No matter whether one fully agrees with it, the saying allows one to talk extensively on such issues as freedom of expression, social media culture, public outrage, and even the inability to express one’s opinion openly. Nowadays, it is necessary to think twice before speaking because one could easily become an object of someone else’s attention due to just one wrong phrase.One should mention that there is an explanation for the phenomenon described in the quote. It is possible to say that the main reason is the emergence of the outrage culture. Due to social networks, people tend to form their judgment quickly and without proper thinking. One short video or tweet can be spread all over the internet in just a couple of minutes without being considered carefully. Instead of discussions, there are public shaming and mocking campaigns conducted on various websites.Such an environment fosters censorship, not due to the absence of thoughts but rather due to the threat of repercussions. It’s not uncommon for many intelligent people to keep silent simply because they don’t think it’s worthwhile to have meaningful discourse on the Internet. Nuance is being lost. Issues get reduced to black or white, either being right or wrong, good or bad, offensive or acceptable. The middle ground where rational discussion occurs is slowly eroding.
Intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean being a know-it-all
The quote certainly shouldn’t be taken to mean that intelligent people are automatically right and everyone else is stupid. Being intelligent does not equate to being all-knowing or infallible. Even a very well-educated individual could be emotionally underdeveloped, prejudiced, or insensitive. On the other hand, the less educated person could be wise, empathic, and morally grounded.The problem lies not with intelligence versus idiocy. The core of the matter is that our society is becoming less tolerant of disagreement. The development of a healthy society is based on discussion, questioning, and the exchange of viewpoints. Advancements were made by people being ready to question the existing ideas, customs, and systems. In case every discussion is prohibited, no development can occur.
The fear of misunderstanding
There is one more reason why people do not feel confident enough to express themselves. The complexity of human thoughts cannot be transmitted via the internet. Everything has to be explained shortly and briefly. It means that long discussions are substituted with videos, pictures, and articles. This leads to the distortion of the meaning of certain concepts.Everyone is now worried that one badly constructed sentence will define their whole personality. It is not just famous or public personalities who suffer from this phenomenon; common people do too. They are afraid to lose their jobs due to what they think. Students are scared of being isolated from society. Friends are scared of being judged in front of everyone. Eventually, this results in a situation where people have to act like certain persons.
The difference between honesty and cruelty
On the other hand, freedom of speech can never be used as an opportunity to hurt people. People quote this phrase but use it inappropriately because it can mean cruelty toward others. There is a very big difference between saying something truthfully and harming someone.Intelligence is more than speaking tough truths. It is also being able to speak tough truths intelligently, with insight and empathy. An intelligent individual knows that words have immense power. Words can be used to question ideas but not to dehumanize other people. Civility needs both honesty and compassion.Probably the biggest problem with contemporary civilization is that critical thinking becomes impossible. Today many people get ideas secondhand, not thinking for themselves. Algorithms keep suggesting new sources that agree with whatever opinions one already holds. One ends up trapped in an ideological echo chamber, with no interest or ability to examine contrary views.It would be right for a healthy society to allow people to question their ideas and get involved with uncomfortable issues. Change usually starts by being in an uncomfortable situation. There have been many important discussions in history that started out as very controversial. It might help people to feel better to ignore all those uncomfortable topics but it will not help them make progress.
Conclusion
The statement made by Morgan Freeman strikes the audience because it represents true concern regarding the loss of a culture of free communication due to increased reactiveness. However, people cannot become arrogant because they know their ideas are correct and consider others uneducated and ignorant.The answer to the issue is to recreate places in which a person can disagree and share his or her opinion without fearing getting attacked and called names. Society progresses when everyone has enough courage to communicate and at the same time listen to the opponent’s viewpoint.
