At first glance, the phrase “let the weak ones die” sounds harsh, even alarming. It may bring to mind images of vulnerable people being treated unjustly. But, in this context, we’re talking about ideas, not people, because not promoting the death of weak ideas, leads to much of the horrible things happening in the world, and in your life.

Ideas are different than the people who hold them. Ideas don’t have feelings to be hurt, or physical bodies to sustain damage. The reality is: the real damage occurs to people when bad or incorrect ideas are not brutally exposed. 9/11 should have left a visible and historic exclamation point on that fact.

When an idea is challenged, or even “killed”—whether by evidence proving it false or by those who once held it recognizing its weakness—there may be discomfort for those who believed in it. However, that temporary discomfort is a small price to pay compared to the damage that unchecked bad ideas can cause over time.

Should We Avoid Tough Conversations?

Should we shy away from serious discussions about social issue, politics, or personal beliefs for fear of offending or hurting someone’s feelings? Many people seem to think so, which is why we often hear, “Don’t talk about politics, sports, or religion at family gatherings.” But avoiding these discussions only keeps the bad ideas, like a hidden cancer, growing under the surface.

Consider the potential consequences of not critically examining important beliefs, whether in politics, relationships, or any other area of life. Sparing someone’s feelings may seem kind in the moment, but when reality exposes the flaws in their beliefs, the consequences could be far more damaging to the person you supposedly care about than hurt feelings. We’ve all likely had moments where we wish someone had challenged our thinking before we made a poor decision based on faulty beliefs. I know I have, and I’m sure many of us can relate to this.

Suppose one doctor told you the skin cancer on your nose need only be treated with surgical removal. While another doctor states this particular type of cancer must be treated with both surgery and radiation as often some microscopic cancer is missed by surgery and grows back even deeper than before. Those are two different ideas, which should be placed in the fighting pit of reality, as you can only make a best-informed decision when differing ideas fight for their livelihood.

If one is exposed and ended, great, your decision became easier, if not, at least both will have made more clear to you their strengths and weaknesses, which places you in the best possible position to make your choice. Now, may a doctor get her/his feelings hurt because their idea got exposed and not chosen? Sure, but the good resulting from making the correct choice is tremendous. Really, it’s all good, because the doctor with the inaccurate belief now has the opportunity to step away from their dangerously faulty idea before she/he spreads it further.

The Importance of Letting Ideas Compete

This situation actually did occur. The person involved had cancer growing on his nose, and had surgery twice before I saw him and asked about it. He said his doctor told him surgery was the way to cure the cancer and radiation was dangerous. I explained every month I watched patients leave our cancer center completely healed from the type of cancer he had, and what the known, and minimal, side-effects would be; one of our physicians can explain the treatment and reasons why surgery alone is unlikely to stop his cancer at this point.

He declined to letting the two ideas fight, and said he will just stick with the surgery. After a third surgery and the spread going on into the eye socket and eventually killing him, reality made clear the belief he chose to cling to was the wrong one.

It’s uncomfortable, and can be very hard dealing with the recognition an idea or belief you held as important is inaccurate. However, dealing with such discomfort or pain can be a tremendous mercy compared to what you will go through if you hold to those false beliefs when reality brings all the consequences home. As a friend of mine in Michigan, Pastor Christopher Brooks, once noted:

“When you’re born you look like your parents. When you die, you look like your choices.”