I'll Tell You Why...You Tell Me Why I'm Wrong

People tell me I’m always right.  It’s not that I’m always right; it’s just that I’m never proven wrong.

How much of what you say do you truly believe? All of it, of course.  That’s my answer, too...but it’s not true; most of the conversations we have every day are collaborative recreations of what we heard on the news the night before, read in the paper that morning, and overheard someone discussing in a restaurant last week.  We unconsciously script and plagiarize on a daily basis, regurgitating catch phrases and big words we often can’t define.  

Contrary to what we’re taught in school, plagiarism isn’t the problem.  After all, every idea is inspired by and built on an idea already established; points of view and opinions can not exist without a pre-existing foundation upon which to base our argument and, in a way, our beliefs are a hodgepodge of stolen puzzle pieces we collect over the years.  The problem is most cannot explain why they choose to hold on to the puzzle pieces they do.  

“Why?” is the only question necessary to dive into a person’s soul and psyche.  

Most cannot explain the reasoning behind their views because no one has ever asked them to...and political correctness is to blame.  In our efforts to force a utopian society we’ve taken the concept of equality and the right to think freely and skewed them until opinions are presented as truths in debate and we simply nod and respond with statements like “I see your point”...but just because you think does not mean you’re right. 

We’ve become accustomed to treading lightly, as not to offend and are too afraid to challenge one another on the fundamentals that make us who we are.  The result is conversations that sound important but do nothing more than scratch the surface and circle around important issues with no resolve.  

I’m not politically correct, nor am I easily offended.  I wish more people were this way.  I am not always right.  Challenge me and ask me why I believe what I do and I will respect you more for it.  You will be amazed to discover how many people begin backpedaling when you challenge their point with true conviction; you discover most don’t really know what they believe...but it is this process of discovery that leads to true understanding.  Don’t shy away from vulnerability - it will only make you stronger.