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Difference of Opinion
Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Mark Des Cotes, The last time I flew on a plane was over 30 years ago, and I believe if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I talk about not seeing eye to eye.
Hey there everyone. It’s another late Tuesday night for me. I had a lot of fun earlier this evening recording an Orphan Black roundtable with a few other Orphan Black podcasters. But now it’s 11:30 and I’m just starting to write my SILY episode. So I’m going to move it along.
Wasn’t it nice to hear Mandy’s C.A.P. episode again on last week’s Friday Flashback? What a great story that was. The only thing that would have been better is if we would have heard a brand new story from one of you. There’s still time to submit something for this week’s Friday Forum. Simply visit https://www.goldenspiralmedia.com/feedback and use the form on that page to submit your written or audio message. You can also use the speakpipe widget to record something using your devices microphone. And of course you can call our voice feedback line at 304-837-2278.
Today’s Fun Fact of the Day: I’ll be flying to Texas this weekend for some vacation time before attending Podcast Movement, so I’ve been doing a little reading on the state. Did you know that Texas boasts the nation’s largest herd of whitetail deer? I should feel right at home then, considering we see whitetails around here all the time.
Here’s What I leaned yesterday.
Last week, after my episode on little white lies Geoff left a comment in our Facebook Group about my topic. You may have read it of you’re a part of the group. If you’re not then what are you waiting for. Facebook.com/groups/stuffilearnedyesterday. Pause this podcast and go sign up right now, I’ll wait for you.
Great, now back on topic, Geoff left a comment disagreeing with my saying that as long as nobody is hurt, it is sometimes ok to tell little white lies. He took a stance by saying that it’s better to make a stand for your beliefs and convictions and you should do that my living a life of honesty and openness so that people can see your struggles and triumphs.
We went back and forth a bit each discussing our point of view, but in the end we just decided that we don’t see eye to eye on the topic.
I’ve thought a lot about this conversation in the past week. Not about weather little white lies are ok or not, but about Geoff and my having a difference of opinion.
We amicably decided to agree to disagree on the topic, and that was the end of it.
Sorry Geoff, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot here.
What I’ve thought about that conversation was how easy it was for us to agree that we each have our own opinion and then to move on without any hard feelings towards each other.
Why can’t more disagreements end this way?
I’ve never met Geoff in person, nor have I ever talked with him on Skype. But from what I know of him from his stories here on SILY and his comments on the many podcasts he leaves feedback for, mine included. I think if we ever sat down together we would discover we have a lot in common and we’d have great conversations about all sorts of things.
Our disagreement over little white lies is but a drop in the bucket of who we are as people and wouldn’t play into it. So there’s no reason to let something so trivial get in the way.
I look at the news and I see so much conflict in the world, and most of it seems so senseless. I mean fights have broken out over small differences of opinion.
Protestant or Catholic, Republican or Democrat, Heterosexual or Gay, Packers or Bears, heck, Star Wars or Star Trek. Some People resent others just because their own opinions are different than their’s are.
How many bar fights do you think have started because two people were wearing different colour jerseys? The sad thing is, if those same two people were to sit down and talk they would probably discover they have a lot more in common than naught. Such as a common love for whatever sport they’re wearing for one thing, regardless of who they root for.
The news and social media has been all a buzz lately about Bruce Jenner coming out as Caitlin. Most people I see applaud her bravery, but there are those who condemn her, some refuse to call Caitlin a her even. What does it matter to them how she acts or dresses or what she calls herself? They fail to see that beneath all the makeup and dresses is the same person that America idolized not so long ago. The way Caitlin looks or acts is really insignificant when you view her life as a whole and everything she’s accomplished.
We, as humans tend to blow things out of proportion. Someone’s religion, political leanings, beliefs and sexuality are such a small part of what makes them who they are. We’ve come a long way in the past few decades to be able to look beyond that, but there’s still a long road ahead if we, as a people, are to see past the many differences between all of us.
The character of Cosima in the television show Orphan Black said it best “yes I’m a lesbian, but my sexuality isn’t the most interesting thing about me”.
Here’s what I learned.
You know the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover? Well, that doesn’t just apply to looks. It applies to demeanours, beliefs, and thoughts as well.
Society has somewhat conditioned us to fear or resent what we don’t understand. That includes those who have different views than we do.
We have to learn that It’s ok to disagree, it’s part of being human, it’s how we grow and learn. But those disagreements don’t have to escalate out of control.
The next time you find yourself at odds with someone, take a moment to really look at them, go beyond the argument. More often than naught you’ll discover that beyond your dispute, they aren’t that different from you. You may never settle that score, but that’s fine. You’ll be a better person for accepting that it’s ok to have different opinions.
So weather you wish people the force be with them or you wish them to live long and prosper, just remember, we all share this planet, so why not try to get along.
I’m Mark Des Cotes and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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