How to Disagree Like an Adult
Productive disagreement is disappearing.
Instead of debating ideas, we attack people.
Instead of reasoning, we insult.
Instead of listening, we perform.
Disagreement used to be how we tested ideas, sharpened thinking, and got closer to the truth. Somewhere along the way, it turned into something else entirely—tribal, emotional, and hostile. Ideas stopped being things we held and became things we are. And once that happened, debate died.
This series exists because we used to argue to find truth — now we argue to win.
How to Disagree Like an Adult is a candid exploration of why productive disagreement has broken down—and what it actually looks like to disagree without turning into an asshole. It’s about intellectual honesty, emotional discipline, and the willingness to challenge ideas without attacking people.
This isn’t about being polite.
It’s about being serious.
It’s about:
- separating ideas from identity
- recognizing when insults replace arguments
- understanding when debate is worth having—and when it isn’t
- setting boundaries with people who refuse to think
You don’t have to agree with me. You just have to be willing to think.
Posts in this series:
- When Debate Dies, Insults Take Over
- (Coming soon) Ideas Aren’t Identities
- (Coming soon) Insults Are Intellectual White Flags
- (Coming soon) Steel-Man vs. Straw-Man
- (Coming soon) Knowing When to Walk Away
This series will grow over time. The goal isn’t volume—it’s clarity.
If you’re interested in truth over tribe and thinking over posturing, you’re in the right place.