Point of View

I am constantly amazed by the way two people can view the same event and see totally different things.

And even more amazed when those two people commence arguing about what they saw.

I know everything I see is seen through an interpretive lens.  Everything I hear I hear through an interpretive receiver.

At any point in time, each person is an evolving, complex creature.  As we evolve, as the things we read, and hear and talk about impact us, as our life experiences shape us, the lens we view the world through changes, and the receiver we hear the world through changes.

It distresses me that so many are unwilling to try to understand that other point of view.

There are points of view that I simply cannot embrace, but I can articulate what about that position is not aligned with my world view.

So often all I hear expressed is outrage, and genuine belief that the other person's point of view is not legitimate.

As the United States goes deeper into the Presidential election process of 2016, there will be many issues brought up for debate.

I challenge everyone reading this to think deeply about the issues.  Disassociate the issues and the various positions on the issues from the candidates.

Try to suspend your prejudices and bias about what has worked or has not worked in the past.

We are evolving.  So the past informs the past and present, but it does not predict the future.  Just because something didn't work in the past, doesn't mean it won't work in the future.

The economic realities of the present are different than the economic realities of the past.  The world has been balanced on a fossil fuels based economy since the Industrial Revolution.  It might be time for the economic base to change to something else.

The point is, the world is always changing.  People are always changing.  Our normal is always changing.  If I cannot change, I will become more and more dissatisfied, because I will get more out of step with the rest of the planet.

The most important choice most of us will ever make in this life is what kind of person we want to be, and what kind of legacy do we want to leave.

I don't want to leave a legacy of anger, of dissatisfaction, of hate, of fear.  I want my legacy to be one of inclusion, and contentment, of love and of acceptance.

The position I take on issues influences my behavior, my conduct, and my legacy.  I want to make sure that I am clear on my positions, and that I seek candidates who most closely match my ideology and worldview.

I have no room in my heart for hate and fear.  And I have no desire to make room.  So I will try to understand the point of view of people who hate and fear. I will try to understand the life experiences that led them to that point of view.  I will do my best to not add to their sense of injustice.

But I will not join them.  For me, there is simply too much lost when hate and fear are chosen.   Too much that I am not willing to ever give up.