--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there's always merit in getting…" description: "\"I think there's always merit in getting out of our ideological silos and being exposed to points of view with which we don't always agree.\" — Bret Step..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg" --- # I think there's always merit in getting out of our… ![“I think there's always merit in getting out of our ideological silos and being exposed to points of view with which we don't always agree.” quote by Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg) > “I think there's always merit in getting out of our ideological silos and being exposed to points of view with which we don't always agree.” [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exposing oneself to opposing ideas broadens perspective and reduces echo‑chamber thinking. **In simple terms:** Listening to different views expands thinking. Key Takeaway Seek diverse viewpoints regularly. Themes open‑mindedness dialogue intellectual growth polarization Mood thoughtful reflective Type opinion philosophical When to use this quote - political debate - academic research - social media usage Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking media consumption Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you challenged? - How do you handle disagreement? A Different Perspective Comfort zones may resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Getting Ideological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-ideological-2172733/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Ideological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideological/) [Ideological Silos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideological-silos-2172734/) [Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit/) [Points View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/points-view-623566/) [Think Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-merit-2172735/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) ## Related quotes > [If I use Facebook to stay in touch with my high school friends who are church-going Republicans, I may be getting more ideological diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/if-i-use-facebook-to-stay-in-touch-with-my-high-school-friends-who/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [“It is fit that the fortune should be on his side, for I think the merit will be all on hers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-is-fit-that-the-fortune-should-be-on-his-side-for-i-think-the/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Demanding abrupt and expensive changes in public policy raises fair questions about ideological intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/demanding-abrupt-and-expensive-changes-in-public-policy-raises-fair/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [I say that why don't we bring all points of view. Sit around a table and discuss this evidence, and produce evidence as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/i-say-that-why-don-t-we-bring-all-points-of-view-sit-around-a-table/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [Do I take alternative points of view? Yes, because all the media are going in another direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/do-i-take-alternative-points-of-view-yes-because-all-the-media-are/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [“Every story has multiple points of view, don't listen to just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debby-feo/every-story-has-multiple-points-of-view-don-t-listen-to-just-one/) [Debby Feo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debby-feo/) > [When you take stock, there are so many more choices and points of view that are necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/when-you-take-stock-there-are-so-many-more-choices-and-points-of-view/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [If you convinced me And I convinced you, Would there not still be Two points of view?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armour/if-you-convinced-me-and-i-convinced-you-would-there-not-still-be-two/) [Richard Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armour/) > [I encourage people and their different points of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-noxon/i-encourage-people-and-their-different-points-of-view/) [Marti Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-noxon/) > [Facts all come with points of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talking-heads/facts-all-come-with-points-of-view/) [Talking Heads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talking-heads/) > [I have always tried to do my job in a way that I have people give me different points of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-have-always-tried-to-do-my-job-in-a-way-that-i-have-people-give-me/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The great thing is the thing of being able to see things through many points of view. That's enlarging. I mean, it saves you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/the-great-thing-is-the-thing-of-being-able-to-see-things-through-many/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [As I get older, I get smaller. I see other parts of the world I didn't see before. Other points of view. I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/as-i-get-older-i-get-smaller-i-see-other-parts-of-the-world-i-didn-t/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [May the ability to see many points view keep us gentle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-w-powe/may-the-ability-to-see-many-points-view-keep-us-gentle/) [B. W. Powe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-w-powe/) > [“Religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/religions-are-places-to-stand-and-look-and-act-vantage-points-from/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Bret Stephens > [The hater always suffers more than the object of his hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-hater-always-suffers-more-than-the-object-of-his-hatred/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Listen carefully to the global warming alarmists, and the main theme that emerges is that what the developed world needs is a large dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/listen-carefully-to-the-global-warming-alarmists-and-the-main-theme/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > ['Democratic socialism' is awful as a slogan and catastrophic as a policy. And 'social democracy' - a term that better fits the belief of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/democratic-socialism-is-awful-as-a-slogan-and-catastrophic-as-a/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When you work at 'The Wall Street Journal,' the coins of the realm are truth and trust - the latter flowing exclusively from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-you-work-at-the-wall-street-journal-the-coins-of-the-realm-are/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Every president inherits a mixed bag when he comes to office, and Obama's was hardly the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/every-president-inherits-a-mixed-bag-when-he-comes-to-office-and/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [There was a time when the conservative movement was led by the likes of Bill Buckley and Irving Kristol and Bob Bartley, men of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/there-was-a-time-when-the-conservative-movement-was-led-by-the-likes/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [We elected Donald J. Trump to keep us jittery and entertained. He's delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/we-elected-donald-j-trump-to-keep-us-jittery-and-entertained-he-s/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-united-states-survives-so-long-as-at-least-one-of-its-major/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Censoriously asserting one's moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/censoriously-asserting-one-s-moral-superiority-and-treating-skeptics/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [What is absolutely clear is that if Trump is the nominee, Republicans cannot win. Maybe they can't win with Rubio or Cruz or Kasich.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/what-is-absolutely-clear-is-that-if-trump-is-the-nominee-republicans/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Everything Republicans once claimed to advocate - entitlement reform, free trade, standing up to dictators, encouraging the march of freedom around the world -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/everything-republicans-once-claimed-to-advocate-entitlement-reform/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The best scientific evidence suggests temperatures are rising, and the best scientific evidence suggests man-made anthropogenic carbon emissions have some substantial thing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-best-scientific-evidence-suggests-temperatures-are-rising-and-the/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The intelligent defense of free speech should not rest on the notion that we must tolerate every form of speech, no matter how offensive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-intelligent-defense-of-free-speech-should-not-rest-on-the-notion/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When George W. Bush decided to save the American position in Iraq by going against the advice of all of his wise men, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-george-w-bush-decided-to-save-the-american-position-in-iraq-by/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) [Explore all 118 Bret Stephens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there's always merit in getting out of our ideological silos and being exposed to points of view with which we don't always agree.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bret Stephens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting-out-of-our-ideological-silos/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting-out-of-our-ideological-silos/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/bret-stephens-3977_always_i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting_1008147.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think there's always merit in getting out of our ideological silos and being exposed to points of view…” — Bret Stephens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bret Stephens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think there's always merit in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting-out-of-our-ideological-silos/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-there-s-always-merit-in-getting-out-of-our-ideological-silos/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```