They say there is more that unites us than divides us.
Let’s start
with the fact that we’re all human. That
alone should be enough of a leveller. We
start life with no pre-conceptions of others, and are shaped by our environment,
influences and experiences. All of us
are flawed in some way or another and we should therefore be more tolerant of anyone
else’s personal shortcomings.
But when it
comes to opinions it’s evident we’re becoming increasingly marginalised.
What’s
wrong with someone having a different point of view? It allows us to consider both sides of an
argument in our quest to reach a balanced understanding of important issues. But many of us are too quick to accept
anything presented as fact without verifying its validity through reliable and
unbiased sources - making us vulnerable to fake news sites or groups with a
narrow, militant agenda.
About the
only thing that prevented the 2017 Women’s March descending into total farce
- because the individual agendas were so jumbled there were actually areas of moral
contradiction - was that they were united by a common cause, albeit that the banner
of oppression they were rallying under was incongruous with the freedom of
speech and right to demonstrate they were clearly being allowed to exercise.
Debate is
healthy but it’s getting personal now and we need to be hyper careful when we
find ourselves disagreeing with family, friends or anyone else whose views we usually
value on other matters. We should listen
with open minds and in a spirit of love and respect or we’ll be playing into
the hands of those who are out to divide, corrupt or even destroy us at the core
level of human interaction. No cause is
worth alienating those with whom we share blood or a mutual bond. By all means try to bring them around to
understanding your point of view, but don’t reject them for not adopting
it. We will never agree with anyone
about everything, so accept that they are as entitled to their opinion on some
matters as you are yours.
We often
discover that some of the convictions we held in our youth weren’t fully formed
and we’ve gone on to take a completely different stance on issues we used to
be ignorant or blinkered about. So recognise our own susceptibility to misguidance before allowing ourselves to become consumed by the arrogance of certainty that everyone should think as we do at any time - time can make a fool of you.
Instead, turn that negativity around and enjoy the warm fuzzies that
come with tolerance, compassion and understanding.
None of us
know it all. We need each other because
we all have different knowledge, skills and strengths. We can create a better society by drawing on diversity
to find some middle ground in the interests of serving the greater good. Our leaders should be guardians and effective
administrators, working together, not career politicians. Giving way a little, whether at a government
or personal level, needn’t be seen as compromise because everyone pays the same
price to move forward instead of fracturing into ever more specific belief
systems. It doesn’t need to get
political. We are stronger united than
divided.
Accept it.
Embrace it.
Be it.
