I’ve said it before, if all I do is write posts that simply make people nod yes, then I’m not really doing much to make people think or change the way they look at things.
“It is just that we should be grateful, not only to those with whose views we may agree, but also to those who have expressed more superficial views; for these also contributed something, by developing before us the powers of thought.” — Aristotle
It is those things that make us pause and evaluate how we feel about them — whether we agree or disagree or just want to think about in more depth over time — that really make a difference in our lives.
If we aren’t challenged by something, we aren’t changed by it.
You can see a million of these motivational quotes and pins go by and quickly think “yup!”, but do they really do anything but reassure you of what you already think, feel, or know about something?
“There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.” — Michel de Montaigne
It’s the posts that make you go, “Wait. I’m not sure I agree.” or “I hadn’t thought about it like that before.” that really help make changes in your life or your way of thinking.
I should also once again point out that we don’t have to agree on something to get along.
And, if done respectfully, I like to be challenged because it helps me see things from another perspective. I may even update something I wrote to reflect new insights.
“I don’t like to talk much with people who always agree with me. It is amusing to coquette with an echo for a little while, but one soon tires of it.” — Thomas Carlyle
What I write doesn’t always apply to every situation or scenario. And it can’t possibly reflect things I haven’t thought about before.
“Things that I felt absolutely sure of but a few years ago, I do not believe now. This thought makes me see more clearly how foolish it would be to expect all men to agree with me.” — Jim Rohn
That’s where being open to other perspective helps.
“One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.” — Lao Tzu
If all you do is surround yourself with people and things that reflect your views 100%, and you have no tolerance for those who think or act differently, it gives you a distorted view of the world.
“If two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary” — Winston Churchill
“Minds are like parachutes they only function when open.”
“You know how advice is. You only want it if it agrees with what you wanted to do anyway.” — John Steinbeck
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