Points of (Un)view

How differently people can see things! Sometimes that makes for thought-provoking debate, affording glimpses into nuances that expose a spectrum of hues encased in the thoughts of another. That enriches us as we welcome diversity. After I learn about another way of “being”, I turn it over and over in my head as if it were an unusual seashell. Thoroughly enjoying the exposure to something new, I feel improved somehow, enriched, stretched. It’s a delightful form of sightseeing, art appreciation, “study abroad”. I know others who love to delve like that, respecting that which differs from our own little cosmos.

I believe I’m in the minority, though. Pride is so entrenched in some hearts that growth is stunted and progression ends. And everyone exposed to them is smeared with something filthy. I’m brought up short by evidence of a rigid and condescending mind, bolted shut and impervious to light or air. Enslaved by rigid, self-serving interpersonal bigotry, some folks reek of that implied “how dare you”, making them laughable if they weren’t capable of such carnage. Narrow minds refuse to see another possibility, another point of view. The result can be deadly to those who foolishly trust them.

As sad as it is, there are people who squirm at the very idea of another “take” on a situation. Logic and even irrefutable evidence will not unbend a twisted mindset. It’s far too comfortable to bask in complacency; far too entertaining to posture and snort. Compelled by the need to punish those who disagree, they degrade and discredit, even when their argument exposes the breadth of their ignorance. Taken to the extreme, their hapless victims die in collapsing towers, or are hijacked or tortured in prisons. The difference in intolerance is only a matter of degree. Because I’ve seen how far a personal vendetta can go, I avoid those who cannot abide that they could be wrong. Infected with psychological anthrax, they’re capable of emotional slaughter—-even eager to inflict it! These extremists are past feeling.(Shudder.)

When people coldly declare their irrational wars, considering a refusal to kowtow as justification for jihad, their “superior” views get wielded as weapons: verbal bashing to one’s face or, more frequently, behind one’s back. Ick. I relegate the latter to the level of seventh grade. When exposed to it, I feel vaguely embarrassed and repulsed, as though I’ve caught the speaker nose-picking and then eating the result. When a difference of opinion degrades to the “unh-UHN”, “uh-HUH” stage, I’m reminded of my jump rope days, and not in a good way.

What lures a person into flat intolerance? What causes them to so easily set aside ethics and speak (or even think!) in direct opposition to the teachings of the One they profess to follow? It baffles me. I was raised to offer the benefit of the doubt, to open my mind and heart to those who aren’t my clones. I’ve learned to listen, to consider, to mull over ideas—-not abandoning my morals, but living tolerance. I’m the richer for it.