Quote:
Originally Posted by BishopMVP
But the older I get the more I realize it's more about narratives & what people believe than actual facts.)
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Being open-minded and being truly able to understand the perspective of the people and groups that you're just not inclined towards, who don't share your values, or have values you just don't get, is one of the hardest things to do for some reason. I suck at it in most contexts, but I'm better at than I was 5 years ago. But it's like the more passionate you are about something, even in a good way, that just makes you less open-minded about the things that are just kind of naturally in opposition to those things you're passionate about.
I have a facebook friend that is 90% political activism, a lot of it about police stuff, and obviously that can get old - though he always stays away from generalizing and being anti-anyone just because of the group they're in. Still, I can't help but be annoyed by him, but today he had a new interesting take. He talked about how white people are welcome in BLM, and in fact racists are too, because he's a racist, and he knows he's welcome. It was so refreshing to hear that kind self-awareness about human flaws. Honestly, you don't hear that much from big-time internet social activists. Which always makes them come off so arrogant and disingenuous to me. Like they're in a position to morally judge everyone, but they aren't actually in the nitty gritty of trying to make a real difference in the real world, as dirty as that can be, and how easily that can expose your own flaws.