By Mallory Harris | Opinion Editor
Are there more wheels than doors in the world? Is water wet? Is the dress blue or gold? All of these simple questions have blown up over the internet into debates that tend to either spark fun and interesting out-of-the-box conversations or break up friendships — there seems to be no in-between. While I’m fine knowing that my standing on team wheels may cause friction in my social life, I think these conversations introduce exciting ideas and ultimately bring people who might not have had anything in common prior together.
The internet is meant to bring people, along with their ideas, together, so it’s no surprise that that’s where these absurd ideas pop up. All it takes is one person to post one question about something seemingly weird for it to grab the attention of millions. Do you hear “Yanny” or “Laurel”? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Since these questions seem so ridiculous, we make it our mission to determine what the right answer is, because if we can’t agree on what a hot dog is, then how is anything else relevant?
There’s no argument that these small brawls can quickly turn into something more. However, if we focus on keeping to the topic rather than calling one out personally for their opinion, the nonsense of the conversation can be highlighted. Even though in the heat of the moment the “wrong” opinion may look clear, it’s always interesting to hear what lies in the perspective that you deem incorrect. Honestly, I didn’t think it was necessary to describe what wetness feels like to discern whether it fits into how one would explain water, and I didn’t think which characteristics are deemed essential for a soup that aren’t found in cereal would be actual conversations I’ve had and contributed brain cells to.
Despite the optical illusions or chaotic PowerPoints explaining the door-to-wheel ratio, you can’t tell me these feuds don’t bring more people together and allow those people to openly express some of their most random opinions — even if they might be the most telling thing about a person. While there may be a million things happening around the world, each with its own set of importance, it’s perfectly respectable to take a small amount of time to decide which side you’re on.
If you make it a big deal, you might have more fun with it, but don’t turn it into something it isn’t. If you’re cutting people out of your life because they think there are more doors than wheels, you’re missing the point of the debate.
