“I don\u2019t know how anyone could ever ___________!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Fill in the blank with whatever you wish, friends.<\/p>\n
In the last week, I\u2019ve heard everything put in that blank from believing her,<\/i> believing him,<\/i> being ok with dirty politics, to being an Ohio State football fan.<\/p>\n
My fear is we\u2019re collectively making a most grievous, blinding error.<\/p>\n
Note the subject of that first sentence: I\u2026 me\u2026 my\u2026 myself\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Because \u201c<\/i>I<\/i><\/b> don\u2019t know\u201d \u2014 <\/i>because I <\/i><\/b>don\u2019t think that way \u2014<\/i> I project my perspective onto all others as the only wise perspective they could or should<\/em> possess.<\/p>\n I assume I am right and that no reasonable person \u2014 certainly not an intelligent nor mature one<\/i> \u2014 could come to any different conclusion.<\/p>\n So allow me to humbly ask\u2026 since when did it become wise to believe that there is only one right perspective?<\/p>\n Since when did it become wise to believe that there is only one right way to proceed?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And since when did it become wise to project our own experience and our learnings from that experience onto everyone else?<\/p>\n It\u2019s ok to see things different ways.<\/i><\/p>\n Really.<\/i><\/p>\n A year ago, we published a post entitled \u201cDeath to Our Relationships.\u201d Substantive to the primary point were the words written by Washington Post columnist Christine Emba, discussing the deteriorating communication in our country. Said Emba, \u201cBoth right and left have engaged in the breakdown-inducing behaviors that have put our democracy on the edge of divorce.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Is that not the truth?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Said Senators Collins and Murkowski respectively on Friday\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe live in a time of such great disunity, as the bitter fight over this nomination both in the Senate and among the public clearly demonstrates. It is not merely a case of different groups having different opinions. It is a case of people bearing extreme ill will toward those who disagree with them\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m worried. I am really worried that this becomes the new normal, where we find new and even more creative ways to tear one another down.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Let\u2019s examine the bigger picture. Intelligent people are warring against one another; they are assuming another to actually be lesser<\/i> because of their intense disagreement. Allow me to then also suggest that such intensity combined with intelligence is impairing not only our individual perspectives \u2014 but also how we treat all of mankind.<\/p>\n Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a Special Olympics bowling competition for high schoolers in our county. It was a humbling, amazing event, seeing 5-6 Olympians fill well over 50 lanes. And then it dawned on me\u2026 did anyone notice the shirt that many of the very special athletes wore?<\/p>\n Read from the back of my son\u2019s shirt:<\/p>\n \u201cPlay unified. Live unified.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Live unified.<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t help but think that here in an arena not necessarily known for its intelligence or cognitive astuteness, there is so much the rest of us could learn.<\/p>\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “I don\u2019t know how anyone could ever ___________!\u201d Fill in the blank with whatever you wish, friends. In the last week, I\u2019ve heard everything put in that blank from believing her, believing him, being ok with dirty politics, to being an Ohio State football fan. My fear is we\u2019re collectively making a most grievous, blinding … <\/p>\n