Most viral political content consists of outrage, dunking, tribal cheerleading, and the endless recycling of talking points designed to reassure people that their side is good and the other side is evil.
Which is why this video from a TikTok user called Shabooki Sunshine struck me as so remarkable:
[Warning: Brief strong language at the beginning]
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The speaker begins by describing a conversation he had with a coworker after hearing the shocking news that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. Convinced that he already knew everything he needed to know about Kirk, he immediately expressed immense satisfaction at the news.
I was at work when I first found out. A fellow employee had wandered up to me - cell phone in hand - and asked, 'Did you hear that Charlie Kirk just got assassinated?'
And I, without even a moment's hesitation, responded, 'Good! F*** that Nazi white supremacist piece of sh**!'
His coworker did more than just express revulsion at the man's lack of compassion. He asked him if he'd ever actually listened to what Charlie believed.
The man eventually realized that much of what he believed about Kirk had been assembled from clips, headlines, social media posts, and the interpretations of people who already disliked him. He had never seriously engaged the source material for himself. Like too many of us, he had inherited a conclusion without ever examining the evidence.
It was an ordinary and boring morning on the day I found out that I am a monster.
In that moment where my curiosity got the best of me, I decided to click on some random YouTube thumbnail of Charlie Kirk, with his goofy and gummy smile in an attempt to reaffirm my preconceived biases.
And it was an unusually stressful afternoon on that very same day when I spoke to my father for the very first time in years, despite the fact that he had always loved and supported me unconditionally.
And it was a never-ending, sleepless night coming to terms with the fact that literally every single thing I thought I hated about the Right - the bigotry, stupidity, violence, vitriol, and narrow-mindedness - was actually just an outward projection of hatred toward my own self.
That realization should make every one of us uncomfortable, because Charlie Kirk's assassination is hardly unique.
Our political culture increasingly rewards certainty while discouraging curiosity.
We are encouraged to identify villains quickly, assign labels efficiently, and sort people into neat moral categories. Investigation is unnecessary because the verdict has already been reached.
This man bucked the trend. What began as criticism of political opponents slowly became self-recognition.
The comment section noted his bravery:
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Scripture consistently warns us about the tendency towards snap judgments. The book of Proverbs cautions that "the one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17).
Similarly, James urges believers to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). Both passages assume something that our political culture often forgets: There are almost always facts we do not yet know, arguments we have not yet heard, and perspectives we have not yet considered.
Wisdom requires the humility to recognize that possibility.
Whether one ultimately agrees with Charlie Kirk is almost beside the point. The admirable thing is that this young man was willing to follow evidence further than his tribe wanted him to go. He was willing to ask whether he had been wrong. He was willing to examine his assumptions. Most importantly, he was willing to admit publicly what he found.
In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and ideological tribalism, that may be one of the bravest things a person can do.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
