Right. Left. Liberal. Conservative. Religious. Atheist. Sheep. Tinfoil hat. Snowflake. Racist. Woke. Neo-nazi. And everything between.
Our divisions run deep.
And you know what formula will never work for mending said divisions?
Trying to agree on everything.
If you don’t believe this thing I believe, then you’re wrong. And worse, you’re a bad person because you’re wrong.
If you haven’t noticed, that line of thinking hasn’t gotten us very far.
We can blame the media for the division. And algorithms. And bad actors.
Or we can look in the mirror and remember that *we alone* are responsible for the way we respond to others.
Understanding is greater than agreement. Always.
Understanding is not about judging the end result, but using curiosity and empathy to fill in the blanks between the person and the end result.
We don’t exist as spontaneous entities. We are the way we are because of an endless series of events and influences that shaped our beliefs and behaviors.
They’re there for a reason.
Building a better world doesn’t come from everyone believing the same things.
That would be a special type of hell to live in.
It comes from not needing to be right. It comes from not needing the other person to change their beliefs. It comes from caring more about the how than the what.
And the best part?
Seeking understanding is a selfish act. It serves us more than the other person.
The frustration, anger, and hatred that comes from having to be right is dissolved by the salve of understanding.
We take our power back instead of giving it away to everyone else.
If you find value in the things I publish here, it’d mean the world if you’d share it with someone else. It’s the only way this space and community continues to grow.
✌️ and ❤️,
Adam Griffin