Yesterday, I talked about how it's worth enduring the struggle. Today is a new day.
The golden rule, which is to treat people the way you want to be treated, is something that's present in various cultures and philosophies. It's one thing that connects all major religions, yet our emotions often make it difficult for us to put it into practice. It's especially true when we're feeling stronger emotions like hate. When someone says something that completely goes against our values and beliefs we tend to react like what they're saying is idiotic and go straight to judging the hell out of them. If we're not careful, it makes us see them in a negative light no matter what they do.
When I was younger I used to be very easy to judge people, especially if my initial impression of them wasn't so great. A big part of this was my ego getting in the way of me empathizing with these people and seeing where they might be coming from. I used to look at the people I thought were wrong in order to reinforce my own beliefs. For all I knew maybe I was the "wrong one", but I was so set in my beliefs that I was too blind to consider it.
No matter how strongly we hold our beliefs, there's no excuse for us to treat others badly, even if they commit the worst of crimes. I think that resorting to violence or bad behavior would be me letting my emotions keep me from doing what's right. The best way to lead is by example, so if I stoop to their level, I'd only enforce their actions. This is particularly true with emotionally charged topics like politics and religion. It's easier to lash out at others and write them off as idiots when we don't share the same views, but letting go of the notion of superiority is helping me see everyone as human. Rather than focusing on what "side" people are on, I'm seeing that we're all just people trying to get by in the world our own way like everyone else.
Nobody's perfect, so rather than seeing them as people who oppose me, trying to understand and empathize with them has helped me see perspectives I otherwise would've never known had I stayed close-minded. It's opened up my mind and broaden my horizons. This is I think what makes the golden rule so powerful. It forces us to let go of our assumptions and be more open to learning even if it means realizing when we're wrong. Admitting that we're wrong can be very uncomfortable, but it's necessary if we want to get over our ego. I've learned a lot about my own faults through making friends out of my enemies because they hold such a different view from me.
The saying, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" I think holds two meanings. One, it's better to keep an eye on your enemies when you're close to them; and they're also the people who have the potential to teach us the most about what we still don't understand. It's all a matter of whether we're open to learn.
Peace
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham LincolnAlthough I try to be kind and civil with everyone I come across, every once in a while I'll meet someone who's in the mood to be completely disagreeable. Perhaps they were having a bad day. Maybe they're just a dick. Maybe I did something that really offended them without knowing. Or maybe our views just differ and we can't come to an understanding, which makes us not like each other. Regardless of what the reason is, we won't always get along with everyone.
The golden rule, which is to treat people the way you want to be treated, is something that's present in various cultures and philosophies. It's one thing that connects all major religions, yet our emotions often make it difficult for us to put it into practice. It's especially true when we're feeling stronger emotions like hate. When someone says something that completely goes against our values and beliefs we tend to react like what they're saying is idiotic and go straight to judging the hell out of them. If we're not careful, it makes us see them in a negative light no matter what they do.
When I was younger I used to be very easy to judge people, especially if my initial impression of them wasn't so great. A big part of this was my ego getting in the way of me empathizing with these people and seeing where they might be coming from. I used to look at the people I thought were wrong in order to reinforce my own beliefs. For all I knew maybe I was the "wrong one", but I was so set in my beliefs that I was too blind to consider it.
No matter how strongly we hold our beliefs, there's no excuse for us to treat others badly, even if they commit the worst of crimes. I think that resorting to violence or bad behavior would be me letting my emotions keep me from doing what's right. The best way to lead is by example, so if I stoop to their level, I'd only enforce their actions. This is particularly true with emotionally charged topics like politics and religion. It's easier to lash out at others and write them off as idiots when we don't share the same views, but letting go of the notion of superiority is helping me see everyone as human. Rather than focusing on what "side" people are on, I'm seeing that we're all just people trying to get by in the world our own way like everyone else.
Nobody's perfect, so rather than seeing them as people who oppose me, trying to understand and empathize with them has helped me see perspectives I otherwise would've never known had I stayed close-minded. It's opened up my mind and broaden my horizons. This is I think what makes the golden rule so powerful. It forces us to let go of our assumptions and be more open to learning even if it means realizing when we're wrong. Admitting that we're wrong can be very uncomfortable, but it's necessary if we want to get over our ego. I've learned a lot about my own faults through making friends out of my enemies because they hold such a different view from me.
The saying, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" I think holds two meanings. One, it's better to keep an eye on your enemies when you're close to them; and they're also the people who have the potential to teach us the most about what we still don't understand. It's all a matter of whether we're open to learn.
Peace
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| There's balance in everything. Learning from all perspectives helps to create a more cohesive whole. |
If we could understand where everyone was coming from, would we all benefit and be better off?
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