People do things because it makes sense to them. We may not understand their perspective because we haven’t had the same life experiences.
If we honestly make an effort, we may discover and learn something new.
I have a few friends who have different perspective and ideas than I do. For some it is religion, for others it is politics, for even others the question is where is the best place to live, or the best car to drive, or the best specific restaurant in a chain of restaurants. We all have differing opinions.
In the past, I have had many interesting discussions about all of these topics. Recently it seems that people can’t have discussions about differing ideas without succumbing to name calling and becoming angry.
I have a friend who I love to travel with. She and I love international figure skating competitions, Italian food and Barbra Streisand. We don’t love the same politicians or news channels. I don’t love roller coasters and she doesn’t love to knit.
We choose to focus on the things that we do have in common, rather than the things that we don’t. Recently on a fabulous trip to New York, we had the opportunity over a few days to share our deep feelings about some things. These topics are among the talking points that we hear discussed on the current TV news shows. We both came away from these conversations with increased mutual respect and more understanding concerning different opinions than our own.
Most people want to work hard, spend time with their loved ones and enjoy their leisure time, regardless of their positions on these different hot topics. My mother used to say that people shouldn’t discuss politics or religion. I don’t really agree. I believe that you can have informative and respectful conversations with people that don’t think like you do and everyone can benefit from the exchange of ideas.
Search for the common ground with others, your life will be enriched.
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