I try not to be one who refuses to learn and grow and “get with the program” with new technology, so-to-speak. Hence, I’m trying to be a wise and witty user of ChatGPT.
Consistent with the values of our blog, I asked AI to write a creative poem about disagreement — how it’s ok and can be used to our benefit if we do it well. Granted, if we do it poorly, it can be damaging. Even the intelligent fall prey to such.
The reality is that respect is not dependent on agreement. In fact, I often respect most those who sit beside us, ask good questions, and actively, sincerely seek to understand as opposed to simply share where another is wrong.
We have so much to learn. We also have places where we can all be more respectful. Here’s to the fine art of not agreeing…
Oh blessed clash of minds and wills,
Where coffee cools and tempers spill,
Where “I see it differently” begins
The noble sport where no one wins.
For must we always nod and grin,
Pretend that every view’s a twin?
That every take is just as grand,
As if we all were clones on hand?
Disagreement’s not some plague—
It’s jazz! A dance! A rich mosaic!
If done with grace (and not with spite),
It sharpens thought and sheds new light.
But do it poorly—my, oh my—
The air grows thick, the sparks can fly.
One snide remark, one mocking tone,
And now you’re fighting on your own.
You stomp, you scoff, you roll your eyes,
(How dare they not idealize
Your every word, your perfect view!)
But hey—perhaps the flaw’s with you.
For those who dodge dissent like plague,
Who only nod, or mutter vague
Approvals just to keep things smooth,
Might lose the edge that helps us move.
Disagreement isn’t doom or war—
It’s just two minds with something more
To learn, to test, to push, to prove,
A kind of dance to help us move.
So speak your mind, but don’t be cruel,
And listen too—it’s half the rule.
If we can clash and still be kind,
We might just grow a wiser mind.
So disagree! But do it well.
Don’t turn a room into a hell.
It’s not a sin to not align—
Just don’t be a jerk when you opine.
Here’s to disagreement. May it be an unexpected, insightful strength to a continuous more…
Respectfully…
AR