It’s Alright to Disagree

 I am back trying to get my unpublished book “The Split Second:  In Consideration of Others or Look Up from the Phone and How to Deal with Rudeness in Others” published. I will not give up for right now whatsoever; however, there is enough “pushback” against my concept of a society where we all get along and are nice to each other. Then there are others who motivate me to go on with this project. I am incredibly grateful to them. I hope I can get the good word out there. Some love it; some think it is useless.

I want to continue to discuss an important consideration of life and how we might be more considerate of others is sad these days for me and for others. I am discussing when people do NOT value other people’s opinions even if they differ strongly from their own beliefs. These several blogs will deal with how we might be a better society if we try to understand views different than our own and enjoy the difference.

In this blog I want to highlight two particular people who have been quite special in my life, but I must write here, both had a severe lack of tolerance for people who did not think like they did when it came to political matters. It can be said that at times, it was best not to debate or argue political matters. I am reminded of the warnings to that go out to families when they assemble for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, that it might be best to avoid the subject of politics altogether. I think of these two people; one person is my late father; another person is a lady who was a particularly good and supportive friend for several years whom I will call “Jane.”

My father held a firm political belief even though his own father’s and brother’s beliefs were “on the other side of the aisle.” Jane “evolved” with her political beliefs but remained registered in the political party she had always been a part of since she could vote. There is nothing wrong with either of these scenarios. However, when it came to discussing politics or the business of our country, both my father and Jane would show a total disregard for anyone who thought differently than they did. Jane’s face would even get a bit red, and her eyes would widen. Her voice would suddenly become very intense and many times it was uncomfortable to be around her when she went into this mode as she was so argumentative.

 Both my father and Jane carried with them at moments like these the notion that “I’m right, and if you disagree with me, you’re wrong.” Put another way, they did not tolerate anyone disagreeing with them whatsoever. I had and have great appreciation for both these people but I disagree, not with their political philosophies necessarily, but the concept that they could not accept anyone disagreeing with them. I genuinely believe we will have a much more pleasant, cohesive society when we all learn to “get along” and accept other people’s views especially when they are different than our own.

My book is about thoughtfulness for others and openly showing it. Many have told me that this is slipping away in society. I believe that we can truly become a society where we can all think of others as we “go out in the world.”  It must start somewhere.