Breaking Free from Our Echo Chambers

Opening up to New Perspectives and Ideas

Illustration by the Author.

“It is easier and more comfortable for us to live in perpetual high dudgeon inside our echo chambers than it is to have a meaningful conversation with people who disagree with us. The entire outrage industry has been designed to keep us in our bubbles, never challenged by disagreement and never required to think that we might be wrong.” — Michael Austin

When it comes down to it, humans are social creatures. We crave validation and acceptance from our peers, and often this drive can be stronger than our own beliefs and convictions. As such, we need others to think the same way we do to feel secure in our ideas.

Seeking affirmation from others can be detrimental to our growth as individuals and as a society. We limit our understanding and empathy by shutting out other points of view and only accepting our own. 

It’s important to remember that everyone is entitled to have their own opinions and experiences, even if they differ from ours. 

By embracing diversity, we…