In the recent documentary, Hail Satan? (2019), ‘The Satanic Temple’s’ raison d’être is a fight for religious liberty. When a monument to The Ten Commandments is erected outside a Florida law court, the Satanists forward a motion to put up their own statue of Baphomet. If the US Constitution guarantees a separation of Church and State, they argue, then either monuments to every religion go up, or none all!

Cue moral panic, media outrage, and placard protests by well-meaning citizens. No doubt these people feel threatened by the actions of The Satanic Temple. And a Baphomet statue is certainly a provocative act. But what struck me was the seeming unwillingness of the protesters to have a constructive conversation with any member of The Temple.

For me, it’s a case of echo-chambers in action. In one memorable courtroom scene, those at the microphone only seem interested in shouting louder than both The Temple (not present) and also each other (as they cheer and applaud themselves). What could have been a thoughtful conversation about their principles becomes a parody.

This seems to be a deeply human problem. We are all prone to prejudice; we all make judgements about other people; we surround ourselves with people like us, with opinions we agree with. We can project our own fears and self-doubts onto “those other people” who threaten our sense of what is most secure (which is often that which is most familiar).

So here’s my issue with echo-chambers – reassuring ourselves of our right-ness breed self-righteousness. We stay preoccupied with our own priorities. By doubling down on what I think, I narrow my perception of reality. And while designed to protect, my echo-chamber makes me defensive. Ultimately my echo-chamber gives me a false sense of security.

How might we escape our echo-chambers, especially if we can’t see we’re in one? The first step must surely be to learn to see other people as human beings; people with life stories that are far richer than their opinions. It means I look for points of agreement and celebrate those. It means I take time to say ‘hello’, to understand the family member who voted the ‘wrong’ way, to hear out the passionate activist for the cause I disagree with, to engage ‘the other’, whatever they look like, even the Satanist.

It’s a scary thing, walking out my front door. But it’s nothing short of seeing every day, every person, and every interaction as an opportunity to step out of my echo-chamber.

Tim, May 2020

*image & trailer posted for non commercial purposes under fair use 
of copyright material in recommendation of the film

 

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