It's election day. I hope that if you are old enough to vote that you made an informed vote.
This whole election season has highlighted how we often view people who disagree with us on something as either less intelligent, less informed, less cultured, less educated, less sophisticated, or less whatever - fill-in-the-blank. Just less. Less than me and the people who think like me.
It may be about something serious, like a political opinion, religion, abortion, inflation, war, or something as simple as your favorite movie or what kind of pizza is best.
"You like Domino's pizza? Philistine!" "Pineapple on pizza? Don't get me started!" "You've never seen The Princess Bride? What's wrong with you?" "You don't like Star Trek..." (okay, I'll just stop right there before I get carried away.)
Whenever you find yourself saying, "I can't understand why someone would think that way..." you are admitting something important: you don't understand.
People's opinions are shaped by their experiences, upbringing, people they've encountered, and so on. Instead of looking down on someone who disagrees with you, seek to understand their point of view. It doesn't mean you will agree with them, but maybe it will lower the temperature on disagreements. And maybe you'll end up building bridges instead of burning them down.
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