The trend today is: "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts." People tend to selectively read what they agree with and tune out the opposition. I know listening to viewpoints you disagree with makes your head hurt but trust me, if you want your voice to be heard you have to be willing to listen to others.
Throughout my life I've sought after truth and when my point of view was proven wrong, I change. I don't expect the truth to bend to my will. Reality just does not work that way! If we all live in the shelter of our own little peer group we fail to grow as individuals.
I know its comfortable living in a bubble. Sometimes I retreat to mine too. but eventually I have to venture out into the world and face reality. Sometimes I'm even wrong and I promptly admit it and feel better for accepting another piece of this puzzle we call life life. The headaches go away when we stop trying to shut out the truth.
Some disagree that you can even find truth. "Whats true for you may not be true for me." OK, so if I disagree with gravity I will float into space and you will remain firmly planted on the earth? I don't think so. If I disagree with driving on the right side of the road I'm gonna crash into all you wrong headed drivers. My opinion on the fact makes no difference to the outcome. I can believe we all should do things my way and still die in a flaming ball of death on the highway. That only qualifies me for a Darwin Award not a Medal Of Honor. Who wants to die just because they are a stubborn idiot? (hey that could be a new game show).
As a searcher for truth you must always LISTEN. Even if you disagree you listen first. Listen carefully and try to discern what the other side is really saying. Not just your canned straw man opinion of what they mean. Pinpoint your disagreements and do your homework. Maybe you are wrong. Maybe your right. Researching and studying the facts will only make you a smarter person either way. Once you've done your homework you will feel an urgency to share what you've learned with others. Careful...remember how the truth hurt you when you learned you were wrong.
If you are right in your opinion then you will have a logical and well thought out worldview or a meaningful rebuttal to the opposition and not just another stupid opinion (The saying 'opinions are like butholes comes to mind). But don't expect anyone else to listen to the truths you've discovered. Once you become a voice for reason and truth you will find others shutting you out to hide in their protective bubbles!
You really sound emotional today my friend. One thing you must know is that as every single one of the 6.8b people on earth have different thumb prints, so too do we have different ways to seeing things. Some may agree with you, some may not. Some may try to skew facts, others may defend it.
ReplyDeleteI live life in the knowledge that what has been established to be true will always remain so no matter what my opinions are. Thus I try as much as possible to live by the truth and whether people agree with me or not is irrelevant to me.
BTW please proof read the piece again, there some typos here and there.
Thank you friend, I was a bit edgy. As you know the political class in my country are busily polarizing our population. The two extremes here are doing their best to divide and conquer.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad because the truth is not found on the far edges but is usually somewhere in the middle. As our government is increasing its influence in our daily lives here I only see more division coming.
A storm is raging and is sucking everyone in and yes in the center is the eye of the storm. The calm, quiet truth of reason. But you first have to pass through the violent raging winds and debris to reach the center.