Warning: pet peeve follows
I’ve discovered that most people aren’t really interested in discussing ideas.
Many of the people I’ve met in the last six years seem to already have formed opinions and gear their conversations towards recruiting for “their way.” I feel like most people don’t’ listen when they’re in the middle of a conversation with someone else. While of course it’s doesn’t help if they feel extremely strongly about the subject matter, it doesn’t even have to be something they’re emotional about. People seem to be strongly invested in their beliefs and ideas. Considering the big world we live in and the rate at which everything around us changes, this strikes me as odd.
In today’s world, I always have to reconstruct my ideas and opinions about things. What might have appeared as obvious to me yesterday becomes really complicated today. I think that being surrounded by tons of people gives me the huge luxury of having different perspectives on issues, daily. I also feel like each person has a different, yet just as significant point of view about life.
Who am I to say my opinions are the right ones? Who am I to say my morals are the right ones?
I think most things in life aren’t as clear-cut as I, a person with a very mathematical mind, would like them to be. By sticking to my own opinions with a closed mind, I’d miss out way too much in life. I also feel like this means I don’t value other people’s experiences, which takes me back to “who makes me the boss of it all?”
I think if more people listened to each other instead of coming into a conversation or situation with a preconceived agenda, it would make life a lot more pleasurable. Maybe that’s why I’m not particularly fond of many politicians. I feel like they already have their mind set up. For a person who’s job is to represent a group of individuals to not listen to each individual seems really counter-productive, or even downright rude. I understand that the mechanics of listening to each individual might be unrealistic to manage, but we all know what you make out of u and me when you assume. And if you are too busy convincing everyone else to think like you, are you truly representing them?
Besides the conceitedness of assuming “my way is the right way” I’d also hate the idea of everyone thinking exactly like me. How incredibly boring would life be if everyone thought the same way I did? Really boring. Trust me.
I guess I just wish people would respect the fact that we all go through different experiences in life and we all have differing significant contributions we can bring to the table when discussing an issue. The more information I hear about an issue, the more informed my choices can be. And maybe I am naive but at least I listen.
So I really don’t understand why some people even bother having a conversation with others when they already formed all their opinions on the subject matter. Why waste your time and mine?
pet peeve over
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