The Necessity of Viewpoint Diversity

“Andy asked me over break whether I pay my car registration fees every year.” I was hiking with Steve on New Year’s Eve, and started recounting a conversation with our mutual friend Andy.

“What kind of a question is that?” Steve replied, incredulous.

“I know right? It’s like asking if I pay my taxes every year.” Steve nodded, and I continued, “Then he told me that in Maryland you pay for car registration fees every 2 years, and it’s generally ~$135 no matter what kind of car you have.”

“Ohhhhh, I see,” Steve said, echoing my sentiments exactly.

Steve and I both grew up in California, so we had no idea how other states operated with regard to car registration fees. Therefore, both of us thought Andy asked a dumb question. Meanwhile, Andy couldn’t believe how ridiculous his car registration fees were, and needed to confirm with California natives that people actually pay that amount every year.

This to me is an example of why viewpoint diversity is arguably much more important than racial diversity. In fact, there’s been so much focus on racial diversity in recent years that we’ve missed a key reason why we strive for diversity at all — so we can hear from people with different perspectives and backgrounds, and not just from people who think like us. In other words, what good is racial diversity if there’s no diversity of thought?

Certainly race is one component of diversity, but I wonder if a better proxy of viewpoint diversity is socioeconomic status and upbringing — which is what racial quotas were trying to solve for anyway.

I’ve been reflecting this week on how my conversation with Andy is a metaphor for how we tend to live within our own echo chambers — especially in the Bay Area where most people work in tech and it’s mostly liberal. This is part of the reason why I love talking to people who are different from me — so I can broaden my perspective and learn more about the world around us. When conversations get political it can lead to heated arguments, which can be uncomfortable. Other times it can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation for why people think differently. As we navigate the upcoming election year, let’s make a conscious effort to listen, be curious of differing viewpoints, and have interesting conversations.