I Respect Your Differing Opinion — Differences Makes Us More Unique
Today, I sit here with a heavy feeling in my heart, my stomach uneasy as I think about the world we live in. Put simply, it’s a huge weight on my shoulders. This may be from my lack of sleep lately, but I feel it has more to do with the state of the world and allowing myself to feel the reality of it.
We now live in a world, in a society, that is founded in so much hate, division, and fear. Instead of being able to express how we feel, to speak our own opinions and values openly in a mature way, we are essentially disallowed to discuss and share ideas. Our characters, our race, our gender, and so much more, are being attacked. Is this not creating fear to ever want to speak up? Is it not aiding in fostering a greater sense of social isolation, forming a dark rabbit hole of effects?
I, myself, am feeling my own inner voice beginning to become buried. Part of the reason I am resorting to writing down my feelings is in hopes to one day be able to find that inner voice and be a leader, in this capacity. I so deeply feel that, as a whole, we can do better. If we could only see how unity binds us together, makes us stronger, and can incite a movement of positive change.
When I say “unity,” I do not mean a unity in all our beliefs. That would just be boring. What I mean is a unity of coming together to share our ideas and listening to them with an open mind and heart. To have discussions (on topics not relating to morality) that do not attack, but rather seek to encourage curiosity and understanding. If done in a respectful way, these discussions can lead us to feel a deepened sense of conviction in our current beliefs. However, they may also open up possibilities for us to listen to, research, and expand our own knowledge on areas that we may not have originally put much consideration into.
Personally, I try my best to have this perspective when talking to people. It’s given me a chance to value each person in my life on a different level. Perhaps the most interesting part is that I do not look at individuals with contradictory opinions than mine any differently; many of them are dear to my heart, and I still love them all the same. We treat each other as humans and seek to understand one another, rather than tear one another down and apart.
I’d like to finish with a simple analogy that was once shared with me. When grocery shopping, do you purchase everything in the store? My guess is that, no, you buy only what you currently need. Those needs change each time you go to the store; thus, what you take home and leave behind changes with each visit. The same can be said with gathering information and having conversations.
As humans, we are constantly changing and evolving, and what made sense to us as children is different than what makes sense as adults. Even as adults, as seasons change, so do our views. That’s why being grounded in values keeps you true to yourself, but allows you to sway a little in each direction. What you may take out of a conversation today can be completely different than what you would a month from now. So, just like a visit to the grocery store, take what you need at the moment and leave the rest on the shelf, untouched, and ready for the next person to pick up and enjoy.
Leave the people you interact with (both in-person and, especially, online) with the same feeling — that they are valued and respected. You never know where your life will take you, if you will cross paths again, and how you will need someone’s help in the future. Find the joy in being curious about people, their values and beliefs, and see how these small shifts can start to create a larger movement of change.
