We have all been given the advice to never discuss politics or religion at family gatherings; apparently it will lead to fights and hard feelings. But why does this have to happen? Why is it so tough to voice our possibly controversial opinions and to listen to others that probably disagree?
I understand that the majority of people have a hard time taking criticism and can hardly stand when someone is shooting down foundations of their values, which is the source of the hurt feelings that come out of a deep conversation, but the importance of really talking about these uncomfortable topics is so huge that it is just sad to me that there is a social stigma around the discussion of politics, religion and things of the sort.
It might be because I am one of the least sensitive persons on the planet Earth, but I want to hear all ideals, especially the ones that oppose the values that I have developed thus far in my life. I want to see what the other side sees, think what the other side thinks and feel what the other side feels, and with that, I am hoping that the party bringing their view into my mind will be courteous enough to do the same for me.
Sadly, I know that this is rarely the outcome. Maybe it is just my spaced-out, Cali vibe that leads me to this fantasy but I have to remember that the negative vibes floating around cannot disrupt my train of thought. When a harsh topic is brought up I cannot just sit back and let the bland, mainstream opinion be the center of attention; I must retort.
So I am going to continue with reiterating the extremist controversies that are spiraling around my mind, knowing that I will get shoved down and deemed incompetent because I like to go far off the radar. I am going to bring up the most uncomfy topics with the most uncomfy perspectives out there. I am going to welcome every disagreement and argument because I am just happy that someone actually took the time to read and process my thoughts in the very first place. And, lastly, I am going to smile at every comment about the "wrongness" in my opinion. I am going to stir up as much controversy I possibly can, while surely pissing the majority of people off and while hopefully pleasing a few others. The least I can say is that I will have sparked some kind of brain activity.