I hate when people are close minded. They refuse to budge on their opinion. But actually, their opinion is already right anyway to there is no real point in trying to talk to them. It is essentially like talking to a wall that sometimes screams back. I have come to realize that sometimes it is impossible to change the opinion of someone or even have them listen to the opposite opinion. My dad gave me some advice a couple of years ago and I still remember it. He said, “Kate, there are some things that you will never be able to change a person’s opinion about, mainly, religion and politics.” I have learned that he is inexplicably right.
I know very well that it is very difficult to change the opinion of someone who has held a certain opinion for a long time. But, my peeve is not their actual opinion, my peeve is how sometimes the person will completely disregard the opposite opinion of a person. As soon as you voice your own opposite opinion it is like their mind shuts down, their ears close, and the discussion is over because you will not be heard. Why can they not listen to your side of the story as you had? And why must they disregard you as though your opinion does not matter when you actually thought that they may have had good points in their argument? I am not trying to change opinions, I am just trying to be heard and given a chance to voice a different opinion. Just because someone has a different opinion does not mean that they are wrong, it just means that they see the argument differently than yourself, and it is good to hear both sides of the story.
There are multitudes of religions in the world. Many Americans are Christians. But does that mean that because you are an American you have to be Christian? To put it simply, no. Our forefathers did not put freedom of religion under the first amendment so that we would all be the same religion, they understood that different people had different beliefs. However, some people think that being any other religion than Christian is not a real religion, or that Christianity is the ultimate or highest religion. I am not saying that these people are wrong, they are entitled to their own thoughts and opinions, but I feel as if they are making hasty judgments about the many other religions that people practice all over the world. I am not sure why people think that because they practice a certain religion, that their religion is superior to others. People will sometimes make comments and slurs about the religions that they feel are inferior to their own. It frustrates me because I feel as if those people do not listen and try to understand the other religions around them. They think that theirs is the best and only. They completely write off the rest of the religions and are done with it. They will not watch certain movies or read certain books that pertain to other religions because they do not feel the need to try and understand the other religions. I am in no way trying to say that I am better because I have this opinion, I just feel that everybody should try and keep an open mind and try to understand how others feel and why they feel that way. Eventually, I hope that they can agree to disagree on their religious beliefs, but still are able to be civil to each other and be friends and not judge each other on their different beliefs.
Politics are a whole other can of worms that should not always be discussed. Again, everyone is entitled to their own political party. Though, I feel that it is possible that if people would just get over ‘Oh I am Republican and he is a Democrat, we cannot get along’ we would have the potential to be a greater country. I know that that could only happen in a utopian society and will more than likely never happen in America, but one can still hope. It would make life a little easier though if Democrats and Republicans were able to talk it out, have open minds about situations and problems and come up with a solution. Political debates could be more about listening to the opponent instead of trying to cram your own beliefs down the other’s throat. It is really not that difficult to listen to the opinion of a person with a different party than you. You do not have to agree on a subject, but you can try and understand why they see it that way and gain a greater understanding of them and their beliefs.
I am not trying to shove my own opinions about certain issues down anyone’s throat. You asked me what ticked me off. I could not think of anything for a while. Sure, there are plenty of little things that make me mad on a daily basis, but to be able to write 1,000 words about them would be a perilous task. I finally thought of how difficult it is sometimes to talk to certain people who have a different opinion. I do my best in every situation to try and understand the other side of the argument, but I am forever peeved whenever I am disregarded because my opinion is opposite of the person’s I am talking to. The world would be a better, easier, and nicer place if everyone kept an open mind, listened to the opinion of other’s and tried to get along.
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