SPICE OF LIFE

We don’t know what we don’t know.

I am a very firm believer in a little measure of doubt. It is great to support your views, but having a bit of doubt leaves room for them to grow.  Just look at history and how popular beliefs—like the world being flat—have changed with new knowledge. Conviction is cause for admiration; absolute certainty is cause for apprehension.

Having beliefs to follow is not by any means a bad thing—having thoughts about the world around you is a wonderful thing and may have great influence on your actions and goals in life.

However, when someone takes their beliefs and uses them to put down another person because they think differently, it is no longer admirable—it is inconsiderate, intolerant and, I would argue, quite arrogant.

Who am I to tell others that they are incorrect when I have no guarantee that I myself am right? How would I feel if someone else looked down on me for my thoughts, born from my personal experiences that are unique to me and no one else?

Differences are what makes the world interesting. I don’t know about you, but a world where everyone looks, thinks, acts and talks the same sounds like a horrible boring nightmare. No one should be made to feel lesser because they think differently—it hurts them, it hurts the perpetrator and it hurts the world.

So do not ostracize—celebrate. Rejoice in the fact that you are surrounded by people with different outlooks on life. Listen with an open mind and use beliefs that have been shared with you to expand upon your own.

The disagreement of beliefs and principles does not hurt the world—people who are disdainful of other people’s view do. Our differences in beliefs and principles make for a rich, ever-progressing society and allow us as individuals to grow in our thinking, if only we listen before we speak.

 Maggie Figliomeni, Co-Editor