virgin islands scene

Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.
-- Thomas Merton
 

 

Friday, March 7, 2003

Disagreements

No one sees the world exactly the same way you see it. You have your own unique perspective, and so does every other person.

Don’t let your disagreements with others become an excuse for hatred or disrespect. Instead, sincerely seek to learn from and to understand those perspectives that differ with your own.

You can respect and understand the opinions of others without agreeing or giving in or allowing them to take advantage of you. Often you can learn much more from someone who disagrees with you than you can from those with whom you agree.

When you refuse to even listen to a differing opinion, that’s a sure sign of weakness and insecurity. By contrast, when you can respect and welcome the opinions of others, it will strengthen your confidence in your own opinions.

How dreary and stagnant life would be if we were all the same. Some of our greatest treasures come from the rich diversity of our opinions and perspectives. We all live best when we can live together, agreeing to disagree, with respect, understanding and cooperation.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2003 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.