Hello there.
I recently read this:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/11/mainstream-left-silencing-sympathetic-voices?CMP=soc_567
While I don't agree with everything he writes, he brings up some interesting ideas. Mainly, the thrust seems to be that if you don't conform to people's ideas about what they expect a "liberal" to be, then you're an unorthodox heathen, or (an even bigger sin!) you're simply ignorant. And this is a very difficult position to find one's self in. What if, after all of the discussion and information searches, all of the careful, thoughtful weighing of all available evidence (read: wikipedia) ;) - what if after all one can reasonably be expected to do, one arrives at the understanding that one just doesn't know?
I want to understand the world. I want to respect people from all different backgrounds. I want to learn what I can from everybody, and I want to be able to amend my own way of thinking based on new and significant input. My mind is not made up - not by a long shot. And this makes people uncomfortable. Including me.
I sometimes admire people who seem to have such a solid, strong foundation of core, fundamental beliefs. But I also wonder what happens to them when they're confronted with someone they respect or otherwise admire who espouse ideas that are contrary to their own... How do they deal with that? Does it change the way they think? (Not really, from what I've seen) Or do they simply think that while Mr. X is a good guy, he's also a little misguided/uninformed about issue 42? (This is more the norm, from my experience). So they can dismiss anything that doesn't fit their world view as being incorrect.
I wonder how that can be a satisfying way to live. I couldn't live that way.
The people I really admire are those who are willing to admit that they don't know everything (anything) with 100% certainty. That the jury is still out on some (many) things. That the world is full of richness, complexity, and beauty, and just because I don't understand something doesn't make it wrong.
In fact, if I don't understand something, it means there's a chance for me to learn. Which may be uncomfortable, but so much more satisfying.
I recently read this:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/11/mainstream-left-silencing-sympathetic-voices?CMP=soc_567
While I don't agree with everything he writes, he brings up some interesting ideas. Mainly, the thrust seems to be that if you don't conform to people's ideas about what they expect a "liberal" to be, then you're an unorthodox heathen, or (an even bigger sin!) you're simply ignorant. And this is a very difficult position to find one's self in. What if, after all of the discussion and information searches, all of the careful, thoughtful weighing of all available evidence (read: wikipedia) ;) - what if after all one can reasonably be expected to do, one arrives at the understanding that one just doesn't know?
I want to understand the world. I want to respect people from all different backgrounds. I want to learn what I can from everybody, and I want to be able to amend my own way of thinking based on new and significant input. My mind is not made up - not by a long shot. And this makes people uncomfortable. Including me.
I sometimes admire people who seem to have such a solid, strong foundation of core, fundamental beliefs. But I also wonder what happens to them when they're confronted with someone they respect or otherwise admire who espouse ideas that are contrary to their own... How do they deal with that? Does it change the way they think? (Not really, from what I've seen) Or do they simply think that while Mr. X is a good guy, he's also a little misguided/uninformed about issue 42? (This is more the norm, from my experience). So they can dismiss anything that doesn't fit their world view as being incorrect.
I wonder how that can be a satisfying way to live. I couldn't live that way.
The people I really admire are those who are willing to admit that they don't know everything (anything) with 100% certainty. That the jury is still out on some (many) things. That the world is full of richness, complexity, and beauty, and just because I don't understand something doesn't make it wrong.
In fact, if I don't understand something, it means there's a chance for me to learn. Which may be uncomfortable, but so much more satisfying.
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