It was a typical Tuesday afternoon. The class waited, staring anxiously at the clock in the last two minutes of the period. Some of their eyes, like mine, were half closed, begging to be fully closed for hours more; the others laughed and chatted and yelled unnecessarily at the back of the classroom, knowing that in two minutes the teacher wouldn’t be allowed to care at all. And so, while the rest of us sat looking for a little peace and quiet, an even louder yell started, an argumentative one, in an attempt to remind everyone that global warming was, in fact, real while the other voice screamed back their correction, stating that it clearly wasn’t. 

Yup, just a typical Tuesday. 

It could have easily been the fatigue talking, but it was that time that I officially decided I was done with the “typical” Tuesday. The yelling was too loud, the people were too focused on winning and didn’t even care what they were saying. They would do anything to prove they were right – that is, if that “anything” was exactly one thing and if that one thing was simply yelling their opinion louder. 

Neither of them thought to listen for even half a second. Neither of them thought to even consider the other’s perspective, or any other perspective for that reason. Neither of them would deign to listen to anything save the sound of their own voices. 

Everyone has opinions. We’re all allowed to have opinions, something we are very fortunate for. I even sided strongly with one of the arguers, willing them to win in my head. But there is no “winning” if no one is given a fair chance. You don’t get a participation trophy for joining an argument.

Stand up for what you believe in. Stay firm in your position. Know your facts and know them to be true. Then take a deep breath, lower your voice, and listen. It doesn’t matter what side you are on in any situation, the winners will always be the listeners who can respect both sides. If you can listen to your side, you are just as capable to listen to the voice of another. 

But until everyone is willing to do so for the betterment of humanity, I’d like to simply ask the two overly loud students to give it their best shot first.