Sunday, February 1, 2009
Stand Up
I believe that our souls do shrink if we shrink from the world. As stated in the book, "our souls are like athletes...that need opponents worthy of them if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers". If we do not actively serve our community, then we are dieing with the rest of the world by not making a difference. I have stayed silent when talking about the public issue of gay marriage. I was agreeing with everyone around me even though I did not agree. After revealing my true opinion on gay marriage, I feel stronger for having my own thoughts. I feel that it is always best to speak out about a public issue that you do not agree with, however I also feel that this must be done at an appropriate time and manner. It is very important to listen to opposing views. This can strengthen your argument or maybe even change your mind.
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3 comments:
"It is very important to listen to opposing views. This can strengthen your argument or maybe even change your mind."
I like this insight. I think when we advise other or are ourselves advised to listen to others and keep an open mind, it might seem that the sole motivation for this is an amorphic sense of "fairness". Although this abstract is important, it is also good to recognize the practical value of such a practice. If nothing else, being able to present the practice in a pragmatic way removes the need to argue on the point of values that may not be universally shared.
Deciding to look at all sides of the argument will alter any perception of your views and allow you to really delve deeper into a topic you feel passionate about.
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