After a reporter asked Donald Trump about the “eyesore” tent, he ordered it dismantled. The Peace Vigil, which had outlasted multiple administrations, wars, and Cold War threats, was silenced because its persistence offended the aesthetics of power.

We’ve grown so used to measuring political discourse by conversions and victories—by who came out on top or who changed their mind on the spot. But that’s not how people work. That’s not how learning works. Engagement isn’t always about being right. Sometimes it’s about being real. Present. Willing to risk the discomfort of not being agreed with.