We must have real debates where disagreements exist, listen to

In the words of Will Hurd we hear the wisdom of one who has walked among both conflict and compromise: “We must have real debates where disagreements exist, listen to each other, not shy away from ideas different from our own and treat people with respect.” These words speak not only to the realm of politics, but to the eternal struggle of humankind: the challenge of hearing one another, even when voices clash, and of finding dignity in the midst of discord.

The heart of his call is the value of true debates. A debate is not a shouting match, nor is it a ritual of conquest. It is the meeting of minds in the crucible of ideas, where truth is refined through challenge. In every age, civilizations that embraced debate flourished in wisdom, while those that silenced opposition decayed in tyranny. To debate honestly is to honor reason itself, to admit that no single person holds the whole of truth, and that only by testing our beliefs against others can we grow stronger.

Hurd emphasizes the necessity of listening. Listening is not merely waiting for one’s turn to speak, but the discipline of opening the mind to what is said, even if it wounds pride or unsettles certainty. The ancients understood this well. Socrates, in the marketplaces of Athens, asked questions not to humiliate but to draw out thought, to listen deeply, and to lead others to discover truth for themselves. By listening, one acknowledges the humanity of the other, declaring, “Your voice has value, even if I do not agree with it.” Without listening, there can be no dialogue—only noise.

He warns against shying away from ideas different from our own. This is the temptation of every age: to build walls around our beliefs, to exile unfamiliar thoughts as dangerous. Yet it is precisely those alien ideas that sharpen us. History tells us that when the scholars of medieval Spain welcomed Jewish, Muslim, and Christian thought together in Toledo, they created a golden bridge of knowledge that later birthed the Renaissance. By embracing difference, they lit the world anew. By rejecting it, societies dim their own lamps.

At the foundation of his message lies respect. Respect is not agreement, nor is it surrender. It is the recognition that even one’s opponent shares the same dignity, the same humanity, the same breath of life. Without respect, debates descend into cruelty, and disagreements into hatred. Respect is the soil from which peace can grow, even when consensus cannot. In this, Hurd’s words echo the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, who said, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.”

The deeper meaning is that disagreement is not a curse but a gift. It is the fire that tempers the steel of conviction, the challenge that strengthens understanding. A society without disagreement stagnates in conformity; a society that disrespects disagreement fractures into bitterness. The path of health lies between these extremes: to welcome debate, to honor dissent, and to hold together through respect.

The lesson for us is both personal and communal. In your own life, seek out those who think differently, and listen—not with the intent to win, but with the intent to learn. When you disagree, argue with honesty, not with contempt. Support leaders who build bridges rather than walls, who cherish dialogue more than domination. For in doing so, you not only strengthen democracy, but also your own soul, training it in humility, patience, and wisdom.

Thus Will Hurd’s words stand as a compass for all who walk in divided times. They call us to the ancient and noble task of conversation, to the courage of listening, and to the discipline of respect. If we heed them, we may yet rise above the noise of anger and build a society that thrives not in uniformity, but in the harmony of many voices, bound together by the dignity of all.