ls it comfortable for you to look at events, political speeches and big changes from a perspective that isn't your own? How do you feel about practicing that right now?
I like it actually. It's important to get a variety of opinions about almost anything.
I will admit that it is uncomfortable, but it's a kind of discomfort that makes one grow. And growth, personal growth really only happens with the ability to listen to others, take in the ideas, analyze and dissect them, honestly and then form an opinion. I also like to challenge myself with forming arguments against my own opinions. I am a worrier by nature, and sometimes I look for reasons to worry, afraid that I might be missing something that will get me when I least expect it. But some worrying can lead to prevention, solutions, and new opinions.
I don't want to sound paranoid. It's just that I have a slight problem with not paying attention so I miss things. The worrying forces me to review the things that I might have overlooked. The downside of this is that the worrying sometimes causes me to miss other things frequently of equal importance especially sleep. I am a bit of an extremist in many ways: too much sweets, too many earrings, too many books, note books, pads and programs on my computer. Even too many animals at one time.(Though I feel certain that one can never have too many cats.)
I am prone to extremes: enough is only enough when it's too much. I have too many pens and most of them don't write any more. Moving has forced me to rid myself of many of these things, but still I'm overflowing with stuff that I can't throw out or give away because it's opened and partially used (lotions and cosmetics, soaps etc). And now I'm way off my subject.
However, my best conversations are with my daughter when we're on the same wave politically or socially. Often she can enlighten me with her perspective and make me think, but I don't have the same effect on her nearly as often. But getting out of one's comfort zone is certainly one way of growing emotionally, politically and intellectually and possibly in other ways. But much depends on how the person who holds the opposing view presents his case. I don't like to converse with loud, obnoxious, argumentative people who won't give me the same tolerance and respect that I would offer him or her. If I give him freedom to speak, I expect the same. Red neck kind of men usually bellow out their opinions and then won't be quiet in order to hear the retort. I would like to see those people bound and gagged and forced to listen to the other side or any side but their own. Wouldn't that be something to see? My older sister is a bit like that and a bit red necked
as well. It is difficult to have an intelligent discussion with her especially if
she disagrees - then things get heated. One can't disagree with her and manage
to get a word in at all. She shouts, interrupts, and gets downright nasty. Needless to say we don't have discussions of any substance esp. if we're on opposite sides of the issue. But I don't think I'm missing much.
