Be an absolutist on free thought, not free speech

Elon Musk seems to have started a trend toward people calling themselves “free speech absolutists.”

Please don’t count me among them.

There are plenty of reasons not to be a “free speech absolutist,” not the least of which is that no court has ever viewed the First Amendment as guaranteeing an absolute right to free speech. You can’t claim free speech as a defense if you slander someone, incite a riot, or falsely yell “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. Players and coaches can’t criticize referees in many sports leagues without being slapped with four- or five-figure fines.

So, no, free speech isn’t absolute. And even where it is protected, it’s not always a good idea. Our parents, religious texts, popular culture, and history are full of advice counseling us against speaking too hastily or rashly. Here are just a few examples:

• It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.

• Silence is true wisdom’s best reply. – Euripedes

• If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.

• Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. – Exodus 20:16

• Silence is golden.

• The fool multiplies words – Ecclesiastes 10:14

• Think before you speak.

• You say it best when you say nothing at all. – Alison Kraus

• Actions speak louder than words.

• Words without thoughts never to heaven go. – Hamlet (Shakespeare)

• Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but ten years later, the wounds are still there. – Joel Osteen

There are, of course, many more examples. People often wonder why I’m so quiet; why I don’t exercise my “right” to freedom of speech more. The truth is, I don’t want to open my mouth prematurely and be thought a fool, and I prefer to guard my thoughts and share them only with those who’ll appreciate them. Besides, arguing with people who’ve already made up their minds is a waste of breath, and more people seem to have made up their minds these days, while fewer are willing to listen.

Thinking on it

Rather than focusing on freedom of speech, I’d rather focus on something else: freedom of thought. My father once told me that people can force you to do or say many things through threat, intimidation, and the use of force. But they can’t force you to think anything. I always thought that was a very insightful observation, and it stuck with me. Unfortunately, it isn't absolute. People can make you think a certain way, often by promising to reward you if you follow the crowd.

Mindless conformity is a great way to stifle freedom of thought. People will believe all sorts of crazy things if it means being accepted by the “in crowd” or if it appears to fulfill their particular variety of wishful thinking. People will believe what they want to believe, which is why car salesmen and politicians can get away with making all sorts of absurd promises they never intend to follow through on.

It's also why unfounded conspiracy theories are so widespread.

As you might have guessed, I’m not a big fan of blind faith, whether it be in an unproven theory, a political leader, or a religious claim. Freedom of thought is rooted in the ability to analyze evidence (including one’s own preferences) and reach an independent conclusion – whether it be about liking green beans, where to go on vacation, or what to believe about climate change. It’s not about going along with the masses or being one of the suckers who’s born every minute.

An aside: Did you know P.T. Barnum didn’t say that? A Syracuse banker named David Hannum actually said it about Barnum after the showman began charging people money to see a replica of supposedly petrified “giant” that had itself been a hoax in the first place. The very fact that so many people presume Barnum himself said it demonstrates how easy it is to sabotage freedom of thought with false information – especially when it’s widely believed.

Opinions are like…

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, even if it’s simply an opinion, and even if it isn’t supported (or is contradicted) by the evidence. But your right to freedom of thought doesn’t extend to your tongue. If you tell someone COVID isn’t a threat, that climate change is a myth, that Trump won the election, that your beliefs are infallible, your race is superior, or that a bottle of poison is a miracle cure, you’re not only screwing with other people’s freedom of thought, you’re trying to change their reality – and very likely for the worse.

All thoughts are created equal… as long as they remain thoughts. It’s when they become words or actions that they become dangerous, especially if we fall into the trap of substituting polls for evidence and peer pressure for common sense. False, mean, and defamatory declarations aren’t the same as wise and true words; destructive behavior isn’t the same as constructive action.

As Isaac Asimov put it, “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

So no, I’m not a “free speech absolutist.” I believe in free thought, which is far more fundamental and can actually be threatened by the abuse of free speech.

Which really pisses me off.

Stephen H. Provost is a former journalist, editor, and author of more than 40 books. He writes a lot more than he speaks, and thinks a lot more than he writes.