“It’s okay to disagree with the thoughts or opinions expressed by other people. That doesn’t give you the right to deny any sense they might make. Nor does it give you a right to accuse someone of poorly expressing their beliefs just because you don’t like what they are saying. Learn to recognize good writing when you read it, even if it means overcoming your pride and opening your mind beyond what is comfortable.” ~Ashly Lorenzana
“A true awakening means you learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with … ” ~ Culled from ‘The AWAKENING’ (Author Unknown, June 24, 2010)
“Our ability to stand in each other’s shoes and imagine ourselves in different situations help us to connect with one another. This is moral creativity and moral imagination. We must think about foreign aid as an investment in peace so we do not have to send soldiers on a peacekeeping mission because peace is there. It is a way to ensure we have new markets to trade with. So it is constantly thinking of how to create opportunities for collaboration and cooperations as opposed to conflict…It means thinking 20, 30 years down the line and about the consequences of our action and inaction.” ~Barack Obama
I am often distrustful of people who cannot communicate their point of views without resorting to abuse. Surely, the ability to take a stand, pre-supposes that we also inherently respect (even if we do not agree), and accord others the courtesy of same? People are not created in YOUR image and likeness!
Like the saying goes: ‘Abuse is the weapon of the vulgar’ (Samuel Griswold Goodrich). Show me a (wo)man who defaults to malice and abuse and I’ll show you a mind bereft of ideas. Indeed, our words are a barometer of our inner worlds & states of mind.
Resorting to abuse suggests a lack of clarity about our own beliefs or a lack of security about our points of view. In matters of religion, politics, pop culture and sundry…let’s communicate with respect and honour one another. Attitude speaks so loud that it often drowns what is supposedly being preached.
Live and let live. In my opinion, there’s an urgent need to teach both young and old about concepts of diversity, tolerance, compassion, empathy, multiculturalism, respect and peaceful co-existence among different communities, genders and strata in society (especially in Nigeria). This includes healthier strategies for handling anger, provocative speech etc.
If everyone agreed and shared the same views, won’t we all be boring clones of ourselves? How then do we evolve, grow and raise ourselves to higher standards of discourse, richer perspectives, analytical, spatial and critical reasoning?
The solutions we seek may very well be hidden in the crevices of our collective differences and similarities. Everyone has a different model of the world. Until we begin to put on multiple hats to view each situation from diverse points of view, intolerance and injustice may continue to spread. Take a moment to really LISTEN respectfully. Let’s learn to agree to disagree. Both in the real world and cyber-world, let’s be kind and civil to one another.
Let’s celebrate the beauty of our shared humanity for in the end we are mere projections of one another. Speaking with respect even when you do not accept another person’s point of view is an indicator of emotional and mental maturity; a litmus test of our social-emotional intelligence quotient. Consciously choose civil. We will all stronger for it!
“We are all equal in the fact that we are all different. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. We are united by the reality that all colours and all cultures are distinct & individual. We are harmonious in the reality that we are all held to this earth by the same gravity. We don’t share blood, but we share the air that keeps us alive. I will not blind myself and say that my black brother is not different from me. I will not blind myself and say that my brown sister is not different from me. But my black brother is he as much as I am me. But my brown sister is she as much as I am me.” ~C. JoyBell C
Love, Light & Truth!
Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido
(You may also find me here: julietkego.com)
~Raising a New Generation of Transformational, Ethical & Creative African Leaders
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