Difficulty respecting others that I disagree with

Paco Dennis

SF VIP
Location
Mid-Missouri
I have been justifying my bias when I strongly disagree with someone. I compare how much "better" what I think or feel is than them. I realized, pretty clearly this morning that it is hurting them and me because it is not being able to respect/love them, and that is not my goal. It is self-importance, and we do need a healthy ego to help us thrive through life, but the one I carry is becoming a burden. I don't feel guilty because I am fairly sure it is a universal thing and almost everyone deals with it in their own way. I don't think I am going to fall into that trap again if I can help it.

837508__46432.1625664573.jpg
 

I have been justifying my bias when I strongly disagree with someone. I compare how much "better" what I think or feel is than them. I realized, pretty clearly this morning that it is hurting them and me because it is not being able to respect/love them, and that is not my goal. It is self-importance, and we do need a healthy ego to help us thrive through life, but the one I carry is becoming a burden. I don't feel guilty because I am fairly sure it is a universal thing and almost everyone deals with it in their own way. I don't think I am going to fall into that trap again if I can help it.

837508__46432.1625664573.jpg

Very wise post. As you know, I'm convinced I'm always right, even when I know I'm often wrong.
 

Think it happens when you are more interested in only what you think. By learning to foster
"loving indifference" you permit and embrace other's thoughts and opinions. If we all thought exactly alike it would be oh such a boring world. We'd all live in the same apartment complex, and drive blue Hondas or something.

As we age, this can become more and more challenging... think its important to seek to stay young in thinking.
 
Think it happens when you are more interested in only what you think. By learning to foster
"loving indifference" you permit and embrace other's thoughts and opinions. If we all thought exactly alike it would be oh such a boring world. We'd all live in the same apartment complex, and drive blue Hondas or something.

As we age, this can become more and more challenging... think its important to seek to stay young in thinking.

'Unconditional love"....."Agape" in Greek
 
It took me a long time to realize people are wired differently. What floats someone's boat is a big yawn to someone else. If we could make everybody a multi- millionaire, somebody would be "bitchin' "about doing it. There's always that 15%, who won't go along with the 85%. It doesn't matter what the question is. And, no matter what proof you offer, they will discount it. They're humans, what can I say. While we may disagree, they are as frustrating to us, as we are to them. That's why in a democracy, the majority rules.
 
I think we've all come across other people who have different ideas and opinions than us. I see it in family and friends all the time. We've learned to tiptoe around a sensitive topic in my family if we know the other person doesn't like hearing about it. Some of my friends have different political beliefs or even religious beliefs. That's ok as long as they don't try and browbeat me into changing my political views or religious beliefs. Like others have said on this forum "we agree to disagree."

On another note, sometimes something comes from deep within, from our subconscious that we're not aware about. I've told this to my son. I may see things that point to the future, way ahead, because of experience and having lived 30+ more years than him. I can see the writing on the wall, and often without thinking, spout off my warnings to him (and my nephews). In one ear and out the other. But my reasoning is "I tell you this so that down the road you will not say that I never told you this." So I say it to get it out of my conscious. The final decision is theirs, of course, now that they're 21, but I did my part in imparting my wisdom. I don't do this to show off my ego, but to share my knowledge and experience, and because I care about him (them). With older people, I communicate differently, much differently.
 
Sure, I can respect others whose opinions differ from mine, in most cases. In some cases, no.

Let's take for example, Kyle Rittenhouse.

I don't agree with his opinion on open gun carry, especially with AR-15 style rifles. It was only a matter of time before someone was killed by one of these gun enthusiasts within vigilante groups or private militias. Their intention was to intimidate — plain and simple, and people don't like to be intimidated. All it took was one person with a death wish for it to come to fruition.

I don't agree with his opinion on race. He's a white supremacist, which means he hates certain groups based on their ethnicity or heritage, and I'm of one of the groups that he hates. It's hard to respect someone who hates you for what you are unless you hate yourself, which is the case to some extent, but not for that reason.

So no, I don't respect him because of his opinions, which I believe to be bad for our country. Of course, he is just a kid. It will be interesting to see if he makes anything of himself. He may be able to capitalize on all the hate in our country right now, but I doubt he has the intelligence to go very far as a pundit. It might be enough to make it as a politician, though. :ROFLMAO:
 
That quote "Respect others for who they are, not for who you think they should be." says it all.
I would have to add to it, and please help me to accept them. 😁 ;)
 


Back
Top