Arrogance
One of the problems I struggle with is the feeling that people who disagree with me are wrong. I do my best to keep that feeling in check, but sometimes it slips out regardless - more often than not in ways I don't notice at the time, like a tone of voice or a fleeting facial expression, but occasionally in flat-out disparagement. I don't mean for that to happen, and I'm sorry about that.
The problem no doubt came out of my childhood experience in the various schools I wound up attending. I was a relatively clever lad, and when it came to school learning, the people who disagreed with me usually were wrong. It was easy to fall into the habit of assuming that trend would continue.
By now, of course, I've had enough experience to realize that, while I'm still relatively clever, that only applies to a few things, and I'm fairly ignorant about most of the things that I'm likely to run across in the world. I also realize that real world issues can be far more complex than any theoretical exercise, that many problems have more than one possible solution, and that there are important questions which have no answers.
I know all that. I believe that. Nevertheless, there's a little voice inside that says, "They're still wrong." And you know, maybe they are. What I need to keep in mind, to really learn at a deeper level, is this: That's not important. What's important is that I do the best I can with what I've got, and keep learning as I go. It's that latter part that's tough if I write off the folks I don't agree with.
I hope I get that right someday. The alternative is silly.
The problem no doubt came out of my childhood experience in the various schools I wound up attending. I was a relatively clever lad, and when it came to school learning, the people who disagreed with me usually were wrong. It was easy to fall into the habit of assuming that trend would continue.
By now, of course, I've had enough experience to realize that, while I'm still relatively clever, that only applies to a few things, and I'm fairly ignorant about most of the things that I'm likely to run across in the world. I also realize that real world issues can be far more complex than any theoretical exercise, that many problems have more than one possible solution, and that there are important questions which have no answers.
I know all that. I believe that. Nevertheless, there's a little voice inside that says, "They're still wrong." And you know, maybe they are. What I need to keep in mind, to really learn at a deeper level, is this: That's not important. What's important is that I do the best I can with what I've got, and keep learning as I go. It's that latter part that's tough if I write off the folks I don't agree with.
I hope I get that right someday. The alternative is silly.