I think one of the greatest shortfalls in the upbringing of the current generation is the lack of education regarding critical thinking and manners. When did we become content to accept what we’re told from just anybody, and start clinging to the belief that if it makes us feel good, it must be fact? When did our curiosity and resourcefulness die? When did we start allowing a difference of opinion to negate a person’s worth? When did we lose sight of the fact that without discourse, there can be no cooperation, and without cooperation, we are a house divided, set to fall prey to the wolves of the world?
No matter who is finally president at the end of the process, we still have a country to run. Let’s get to it together. Be OK talking to people who express different opinions than yours. Be OK expressing your opinion when it’s different than someone else’s. But do it respectfully, thoughtfully, and with an ear for understanding.
People need to feel heard before they can listen. Because we all have different needs, experiences, and priorities, the only way everybody gets taken care of is if we are a choir, not a group of soloists. So who’s going to put the megaphone down first and pick up the ear trumpet?
Micha’elah Malmen
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Dec 24-31, 2020.