Beliefs
Beliefs are powerful.
They are so powerful, in fact, that wars are fought in their name, countless lives are relentlessly taken for their sake and people are shunned daily just for owning one.
What is life without belief, though?
During each humdrum daily activity, we develop an opinion - which gas station we prefer, which person we find attractive, how we like our coffee. In the absence of belief, there is only mediocrity and, without disparity, our country would just be kind of creepy.
However, if we celebrate opinions, why then are we so quick to attack what is different from our own?
I have met my share of irresolute people. To be safe, they never firmly uphold one thing to be true and, instead, float from one idea to the next in the hope of approval.
I have also met several wannabe dogmatists who, without fully understanding the implications, act out the part wholeheartedly - be it for the sake of a parent, a friend or personal qualifications. Both are equally irritating. Rather than being eager to learn and construct their own set of beliefs, some people opt to hide behind a mask.
The concept is kind of tempting - there is nothing easy about voicing a conviction. Nay-sayers will obstinately lurk in the shadows. Every revolutionary change our world has encountered had its opposition; in the absence of the liberty to criticize, we would revert from our unique Democracy to a culture of silence. As an American, the right to personal belief is one of our most dearly beloved liberties.
It’s tough to simultaneously applaud strong convictions while completely opposing what is different. Who decides what is good and bad? I, too, am guilty of falling into this trap. It would be unfair to advertise a completely open mind if you are still quick to judge what opposes your truth.
In the dictionary, “open-minded” is defined as the antonym for “opinionated.” Why can’t we have both?
We are only in college, after all. Looking back at what, 10 years ago, I held as absolute truth proves how much I’ve shifted, learned and matured. If we emerge into the world a tabula rasa, collecting and shaping our belief system as we age, then why are we already tearing each other apart in our 20s?
Shouldn’t we be sharing and constructively criticizing our peers rather than hatefully attacking one another?
I have a strong aversion for people who are narrow-minded. On the other hand, I also have an aversion for uber-conservatives, Adam Sandler and wannabe Playmates. I cringe at the sound of anti-gay propaganda and the need for prayer in schools. I have strong convictions. So who am I to talk?
There is a fine line, though, between disagreement and personal attack - a line that is so often crossed.
We should learn to censure the belief, not the believer.
Had I been born with ultra right-wing parents, I am sure I would be singing a different tune. Given that our beliefs are not sent down from the sky and instead have definitive roots, I see that there is no use attacking the advocate. It has the same effect as cheesy “Yo-mamma jokes”; little is gained but a chunk out of the bully’s decorum.
All of our beliefs have contributing sources, and thus, we are always altering, subtracting, and adding to our own doctrines.
An opinion is an opinion, whereas a fact is a fact. This nursery-rhyme-esque statement seems difficult to comprehend for some. Though beliefs are shaped from chosen truths, the two are not to be disguised for the other. It’s a dangerous intermingling.
