Thursday; September 3

Have you noticed how easy it is to slap a label on something or someone? If a person makes a certain statement about an issue, they must be “this” brand of person. If someone has certain opinion about another philosophy, they must be “that” type of person. If someone identifies from one political party, they automatically must believe everything their group espouses and if they affiliate with another; well, they have been programmed to think the other way. I can understand why we want to think this way – it is systematic and simplistic – the problem is that it is typically inaccurate. Just as most social issues are complex, so are most people. Thoughts and opinions are more like spider webs that straight lines. People are individuals who reflect their life’s paths and their own personal struggles, not clones of some prefabricated dogma handed down by a group of programmers and policymakers.

When I reflect on my thoughts and opinions, I find that I am a mishmash of all kinds of influences. I agree with some people on this issue and other people on that one. I am a staunch adherent of one party or philosophy on some issues and believe they completely missed the boat on others. Interestingly, if I am this way, I imagine most other people are too. Sure, there are probably a few people who toe the party line on everything, but most of us just aren’t that committed to a singular cause. As we deal with people, let’s threat them as individuals who not only have brains, but have complicated thoughts and opinions. When we do, we can stop pigeonholing people and start appreciating them.

Think About It!

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