What is the goal of conversation? The Qur'an states that God created us in our different communities "so we can know each other." We can read these words in many ways, one of which is that we can engage with the other simply to gain greater self knowledge.
I am cautious about judging the "truth monopolist" to be so different from myself that I cannot grow spiritually by engaging with him or her. Any honest person will be recognize the "absolutes" she held onto in the past that are now rather embarrassing. This does not mean that there are no absolute truths, but we should learn that we will never discard with absolutes we project as truth, but are simply justifications for selfishness, prejudice, fear and nostalgia. By engaging with the explicit truth monopolist, I gain greater awareness of my own hidden agendas. And perhaps I can be empathetic enough to tolerate the intolerant, to hear their fears and hopes projected as the only truth. And perhaps, just perhaps, they might come to learn something about themselves, despite themselves, by my refusal to disengage.
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