The noises of the busy classroom faded away as I focused on one thing and one thing only: winning an argument. 

When my classmate and I were supposed to complete a simple in-class activity that required us to use our personal opinions, it seemed as though we could not agree on anything. We kept interrupting each other and our discussion soon exploded into a debate.

Even hours later, our argument left me seething. As I looked for facts that aligned with my argument and talked to a friend who had witnessed the argument and shared my opinions, I realized the actual problem. The issue was not that my classmate and I had opposing beliefs, rather it was how we had handled the situation.

We can often be quick to dismiss others’ opinions to try and prove that we are right. When someone challenges our beliefs, we may become overly defensive and actively look for information that aligns with what we think.

When we seek information that exclusively lines up with what we believe, we enter echo chambers where our existing ideas are reaffirmed by others. While it may feel good in the moment to have our beliefs echoed back to us, refusing to acknowledge our biases only fuels polarization and creates unnecessary conflict in our everyday lives.We lose the ability to listen and think critically about what others are saying.More importantly, we shut ourselves off from the possibility of learning more about the world and those around us.

Instead of confirming our own biases through the information we consume, it is time to break free from them. We must talk to people who have different opinions than us. We must read articles from unbiased and factual sources and critically evaluate information we encounter before blindly agreeing or disagreeing with it. We must maintain an open mind and be willing to change our opinions. Even if our beliefs do not change, it is better to have at least tried to understand another person’s perspective than to have done nothing at all. 

If I had actually listened to my classmate, I likely would have learned something, and we could have had a productive conversation rather than an in effective disagreement. While I regret not listening in the moment, I am grateful for the lesson the argument taught me: it is time to break free from biases.