In reality, it is more so when we engage dissenting opinions and varying views that our understand grows and our perspectives mature. Start with the premise that your ‘personal view’ comes equipped with blind spots that others can see clearly. It doesn’t mean your view is ‘wrong’... but it may be ‘incomplete’. We ALL have ‘blind-spots’ — everyone of us.
So, if ‘disagreement’ isn’t necessarily an actual attack or disrespect... then, what is?
• Words become weapons when shared without humility.
• Statements become destructive when motivated by racism.
• Opinions become bullets when desiring to dominate instead of uniting.
I’ve noticed.... the mass majority of angry, agitating, slandering, race-baiting, bloviating’ replies on my social media posts are NOT from people who I’m doing life with. They are people from the past, people who I’ve never met, some who could care less about knowing who I am and those who ONLY comment when looking for another platform to spew anger, bias and division.
Like you, I’m still learning and growing — and have much further to go. ‘Age’ will teach you that issues are broader, deeper and more nuanced than one perspective can own. We need each other.
This begs the question... why give them your time, attention or mental real-estate?
BOTTOM LINE: We must stop demonizing ‘different’... and learn to earnestly engage in meaningful conversations with those of varying opinions. After all, bad accidents happen in ‘blind spots’.