“How can you, for example, discuss anything with a “Flat-Earther?”
That would be the extreme.
And yet, many people don’t know how to discuss anymore.
Quite often there is no desire to have an exchange of opinions to learn from each other.
Either people just wait for the other party to stop talking so they can say their piece without any exchange of ideas. Nobody shifts any part of their opinion from what they might have heard.
Or there is a built-in argument where different opinions clash. Disagreeing in these situations is interpreted as a personal attack. And it can quickly deteriorate into name-calling, anger, flare-ups and worse.
Whataboutism is another recent verbal battle where someone makes a “counteraccusation” or raises an unrelated point in order not to agree with a discussion point or fact.
What I yearn for are spirited discussions where we learn from each other and share our research, thoughts and insights.
I love to develop my positions and opinions about many subjects with others.
I love talking with people who have all kinds of ideas and opinions, similar or different. That is where I challenge myself, weigh what I am hearing, and decide whether it fits in with my personal experiences, studies, ideas and most of all, reality.
Pondering, weighing issues and subsequent cross thinking allow me to come to conclusions that are hopefully as accurate as possible.
And it is particularly great when there is an on-going exchange of ideas and opinions and the sharing continues over time as we learn from each other.
I am hoping that as times become more peaceful and calm again we are going to rediscover the joys and enrichment of fruitful discussions with the goal of sharing knowledge and points of view.

Flexible open minds will find solutions and move humanity forward.