Pretty random post today. There's so much to talk about that sometimes I get overwhelmed. Then I don't post anything because there is so much to talk about that I say nothing. Does that ever happen to anyone else, or is it just me?
If you ever have the chance to take at least one college course, I would recommend a Philosophy class. The world needs people who can think for themselves. Who know how to research information and learn something new without having it spoon-fed to them. We're not babies!
My Grandma liked to have discussions where she played "Devil's Advocate". If I told her I believed a certain way, or had a certain opinion, she would try to help me think by taking the opposite side of whatever I chose. It was sometimes frustrating, but through that experience (and my Philosophy class later) I learned that I didn't have to take those discussions personally. I learned it was totally possible to discuss a thought or opinion and then talk about it from multiple perspectives to test whether it was a sound thought.
Additionally, it helped me get used to "walking in another person's shoes". The more I learned about a person, or about what life can be like for others, I was able to understand the different opinions they might have, or how they might be affected by my opinions and thoughts. Now, there's only so much that you can imagine on your own. To really be able to expand your ability to logically think and reason, you also have to be open to learning about different people. It means asking questions and listening to the answers, without arguing or telling a person they're wrong. That's a little hard sometimes, cuz I always want to "fix" things. I probably should have been a mechanic.
If we don't think about others, about people who think differently, how will we ever learn to work together? Just because we try to understand or imagine what someone else thinks doesn't mean we automatically agree with them. They are thoughts and we are in charge of what we choose to believe and think. We don't need to be threatened by someone's thoughts. We might not like them, we might disagree with them, but if we want to help people understand why we don't agree with them, the best thing we can do is listen and understand why they think the way they do. We all grow up with slightly different--sometimes very different--environments and experiences. We might as well learn from those experiences.
The more we are able to reason through thoughts using actual logic, the better choices we can make for our own lives. We can be more confident and intentional with how we come to conclusions. We can use the resources--facts--available to ourselves, and if we don't have enough information to make a good decision, we can just keep learning more. As long as we have access to the internet, and to libraries, we can keep improving our ability to run our own lives in positive ways. We don't have to be followers who jump from one thing to the next because we're just relying on the majority to make the right decision. You're basically just letting strangers run your life at that point.
Always keep learning, keep seeking information. There's a reason the internet is an equalizer. Your future is in your hands, now more than ever. You can research different cities, countries, job opportunities, cultures, politics, health and anything else you would need. The more knowledge you gather, the more opportunities you can create for yourself. It can be scary to make big changes in your life, but with some common sense, logic, and research you might be able to make huge improvements. Just talking to people all over the world could help you find a new place to live, a new company that would hire you, or a new friend.
Let's judge each other less and try to understand each other more this year. That's my hope.
Comments