Opinions different than my own. I used to shy away. Rebel against them. Get mad and agitated at them. Why? Because they may go against my beliefs, and I used to feel as though they were a personal attack on me.
But they're not. And they're not a personal attack on my beliefs either. They just represent another viewpoint. Another vantage point. Another perspective. And by evaluating another way to think or another approach, we challenge ourselves to think in new ways and we become wiser.
So let's welcome other opinions. We don't necessarily need to change ours, but let's keep an open mind.
There is a book called Doesn't Hurt to Ask by Trey Gowdy. In it, Gowdy discusses the art of persuasion. His career spans across politics and law, two fields that previously I had little to no interest in. His approach to persuasion is very logic-based and fact-focused, an approach that I have not traditionally used throughout my life.
That would explain why, years ago I would never have picked this book up (had it been published at the time). But, today is a different story.
Did I agree with every aspect of Gowdy's approach to persuasion? No. Did I resonate completely with his style? No. Could I find value in what he was saying? YES. Did I learn new things? YES. Did it cause me to re-evaluate my own approach? YES.
Is it therefore valuable to approach the world with open ears and open eyes, and to learn about and consider new ideas? ABSOLUTELY.
Do you seek out opinions that differ from your own?
But they're not. And they're not a personal attack on my beliefs either. They just represent another viewpoint. Another vantage point. Another perspective. And by evaluating another way to think or another approach, we challenge ourselves to think in new ways and we become wiser.
So let's welcome other opinions. We don't necessarily need to change ours, but let's keep an open mind.
There is a book called Doesn't Hurt to Ask by Trey Gowdy. In it, Gowdy discusses the art of persuasion. His career spans across politics and law, two fields that previously I had little to no interest in. His approach to persuasion is very logic-based and fact-focused, an approach that I have not traditionally used throughout my life.
That would explain why, years ago I would never have picked this book up (had it been published at the time). But, today is a different story.
Did I agree with every aspect of Gowdy's approach to persuasion? No. Did I resonate completely with his style? No. Could I find value in what he was saying? YES. Did I learn new things? YES. Did it cause me to re-evaluate my own approach? YES.
Is it therefore valuable to approach the world with open ears and open eyes, and to learn about and consider new ideas? ABSOLUTELY.
Do you seek out opinions that differ from your own?
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