With Halloween coming up, and the Paranormal Activity 4 screening on Thursday (whoop, whoop!), I got to thinking – what is “scary”? For example: to some, haunted houses induce fits of giggles and to others they may illicit nightmares. My point is, there are a lot of things in life that are up to interpretation.
This idea is applicable to many peoples opinions across the board; including the best route to take in the car to a destination, what weather constitutes as “perfect”, which stuffing recipe should be used at Thanksgiving dinner, and perhaps most controversial, which way the toilet paper roll should face [duh, duh, duh!!].
A cacophony of ideas inevitably ends in conflict over whose idea is “better”. What people often don’t realize is that their needs may best be met with one solution while another person’s or group’s needs may be better met with a different solution. The cliche saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” really is true. Taking a physical approach, just look at how discarded or otherwise unloved items are giving new life through recycling and flea markets!
Next time you think about getting into an argument about religion or politics (or anything else!) with someone, whether they are close to your heart or not, remember that you two are entirely separate individuals and that you have different needs. I’ve talked in class before about “meeting felt needs”. You and the individual in question will have some needs that you feel should be addressed differently, so try not to bash others merely because you can not understand or assimilate their needs.
Being more sensitive to the varying opinions of others will help you build rapport on those things you do have in common, and still be able to respect the fact that you two can’t see precisely eye to eye. I think using this method of tolerance can help someone become a valued member in a community and a respectable leader.
What is your Great Debate ?
October 23rd, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Well first off, I think that Paranormal Activity is both scary and hilarious, which actually illustrates your point. We all see different sides of a situation based on who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. It is important to take the time to consider the opinions of those on the other side of the situation because then they are more likely to consider yours and this is how we spread respect. Also, some of the best ideas tend to come from compromises.
October 24th, 2012 at 9:29 am
I completely agree! How you feel when watching scary movies and what weather you consider to be perfect do not make you any greater or less of a person. I agree with you and Paige, everyone sees the world differently and that’s what makes this world such an interesting place. Tolerance and acceptance are also key aspects of leadership. A leader should be able to have their own opinions, but they should also respect and consider the opinions of others, even if they don’t agree with them.