Gastkommentar: Mehr Maschendrahtzaun wagen, anstatt Brandmauern zu errichten

If Germany had adhered to its Maschendrahtzäune (metal fence) standards instead of constructing Brandmauern (firewalls), a certain outcome would have been avoided: the AfD would likely be the strongest force in both Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern this Sunday. We no longer maintain a contentious culture around our garden fences.

Doctors advise parents to give their newborns a bucket of dirt; however, they shouldn't eat it all at once. A spoonful of dirt here and there strengthens their immune system. The same principle applies to our societal immune system. Those who excessively sterilize themselves by erecting communication barriers or labeling individuals whose opinions they find "dirty" as a virus that must be eliminated are eroding our societal resilience.

For instance, I still have friends who have refused Covid vaccinations up to today. As a researcher in psycho-neuroimmunology, this infuriates me. My initial impulse was to present them with statistical probabilities of health risks associated with vaccination versus contracting Covid-19. This would have been pointless. Studies show that people become even more obstinate and stick to their opinions the more facts are presented.

Or have you ever witnessed a dispute where one party claims they are changing their mind because the other side presented convincing arguments?