Why does it always get so heated?
What is it about someone holding an opinion or lifestyle that is different from our own that causes us to react so negatively? Is it similar to a defensive mechanism? Why do we feel that our opinion is being attacked and respond negatively, maybe even physically, to defend it? Or in situations where the individual holding the different opinion acts arrogant, believing that they are right no matter what, why do we then try and fight back with our own opinions? Why do we feel the need to demand that they listen to our side of the argument? It doesn’t matter who it is, be it a short-sighted politician like Trump who incites our fury or even a good friend who we feel needs to consider a different viewpoint, hearing an opinion that differs from our own confuses and incites something within us.
From believing women should not have the right to their own bodies or wanting to become a vegetarian, what people seem to have forgotten is that despite the fact that we don’t understand that person’s thought process and decisions, we still need to respect them and not try to make them conform to our own way of thinking. True, some opinions may be narrow-minded, but that is usually due to the environment that they grew up in. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…people who are trying to find our own place in the world.[/pullquote]
We can give our own arguments, but sometimes we have to agree to disagree and not verbally attack their self-esteem in an attempt to change their mind about whatever lifestyle they may live. Not only is that childish, but it is barbarically inconsiderate. Even worse is the fact that it has become the general practice in modern day society. We see social media websites, magazines, and even news TV shows take part of this, feeding the “We vs. Them” mentality, or even the idea of the “Other/Outsider,” whose worldview does not fit our own “correct” perception of the world. People (myself included) have the inherent need to feel that they are right, and that we know and understand more than the average person.
However, the truth is that we don’t. It doesn’t matter what job we hold; whether this position is as a politician or parent, athlete or professor to even an art student. We are all still learning, constantly understanding more about ourselves and others, and sometimes we need to acknowledge that we do not hold all the answers. Sometimes, it will be someone else who knows better, and while that will undoubtedly rub us the wrong way, society needs to learn to accept this. We need to tone down the arrogance and think, “What can I learn from this? How is this going to make me grow as a person?”
Someone may think being a vegetarian is the answer for a healthier life, and they’re not wrong. They may have fewer artificially generated hormones in their bodies, and there may be an improvement in their immune systems. On the flipside, however, maybe having more beef in your diet is good, and that’s true as well. There’s an increase of blood cells for people who have anemia and thus a boost in energy. However, if you are going to cause a debate on any opinion or life-choice, instead of trying to scream and rage about being right, how about doing the research for once? To understand the full argument we need to fully educate ourselves or even defer to an expert. We are not omnipotent gods; we are not always right or all-knowing. We’re simply people who are trying to find our own place in the world. So next time, stop and take a moment to realize that person you’re going to start an argument with or even scream obscenities at is another human being worthy of your respect, not scorn.