By Rory Dulock | Copy Editor
It’s easy to fall into the habit of believing that something or someone is either “completely right” or “completely wrong,” but that’s usually not the case. In the real world, life is messy. You cannot clearly draw the line between right and wrong because those lines are often blurred and interwoven into a confusing mess waiting to be untangled by your own judgment.
To accurately assess decisions, it’s essential to use your judgment appropriately to determine the correct response in a situation. And you can only judge a circumstance ethically and honestly by playing devil’s advocate in every situation.
Britannica states that “devil’s advocate” is the name of a former office in the Roman Catholic Church where a person who critically examined the life of and miracles attributed to an individual proposed for beatification or canonization.
The position was called the devil’s advocate because it presented facts unfavorable to the candidate, aiming to uncover any character flaws or misrepresentations in their life and representation.
In modern usage, to play the devil’s advocate means to adopt a position one does not necessarily agree with — for the sake of skeptical inquiry or to explore the thought further — or is popularly used to describe anyone who holds a less accepted cause solely for the sake of argument.
According to a Forbes article, playing the devil’s advocate “involves assuming a contrary or opposing viewpoint, often to test the strength of an argument, idea or decision. It does not necessarily mean the advocate believes in the opposing viewpoint; rather, it is a way of encouraging critical thinking, exposing flaws in the original thinking and preventing groupthink.”
The article goes on to explain how this method is essential for cultivating an environment of analytical rigor, which helps explore alternatives and better understand the consequences of a decision.
This is absolutely true when it comes to handling real-life situations that require more critical thinking and not just a one-sided perspective.
A common example of this today is whenever there’s a discussion about politics and policies. Let me be clear: it’s perfectly fine to have an opinion and hold to it; however, it is unacceptable to shut down others’ beliefs without a moment of consideration or understanding of why they may disagree with you. The Golden Rule also ties into this. You would want others to make an effort to understand why you lean a certain way, so you should do the same for other people.
What may seem like a radical idea from someone at first may end up changing your mind about a topic or issue, but you’ll never know unless you listen to the devil’s advocate in a situation.
Keeping an open mind during difficult conversations is essential to our coming together as a society. Unfortunately, it is still a rarity in today’s politicized world, where civil discourse is often overshadowed by turmoil and misunderstanding. That’s why practicing civil discourse with one another is important — so that there’s no shame in feeling like the devil’s advocate.
Baylor offers different opportunities throughout the year to encourage this, including programs such as Bridging the Gap and the Public Deliberation Initiative.
It’s not easy to hear opposing viewpoints and beliefs that differ from your own while keeping an open mind, but it’s important nonetheless. It takes everybody to create a culture of understanding through civil discourse. Be the change in a conversation. Be the devil’s advocate.
