How about hear the other side of the story before jumping to
conclusions. – Author Unknown
It is only through the opposition of ideas that we can learn to
be self-critical, to work towards intellectual humility. - Tariq Ramadan
You must never underestimate your opposition. -
John Scarlett
Strong people are made by opposition like
kites that go up against the wind. - Frank Harris
Last week, I attend a political event
and ran into a man I met a couple months ago.
As we were talking, I remembered he liked to read and I asked him what
he was currently spending his time pondering.
After he responded, he asked me what I was reading. When I responded that I was reading a book
that was different than my political views, he looked at me awkwardly and asked
if I was enjoying it. My response was
that I was learning a lot and able to see what I considered the fallacies in
the author’s perspective. He said, “Know
your enemies!” This particular
politician is not an enemy, but it is someone that I do not agree with.
When this author’s first book came out,
my father suggested I read it to help me understand the other side’s
perspective. That experience taught me
that for me to truly understand what I believe, I must understand what the
other side believes.
Recently, Mark Batterson said he had to
deconstruct his views to reconstruct them and he said he had to “walk through a
process to discover why I believe what I believe”. This process is about learning who we are, what
we believe and why. I truly believe that
when we know this, we are able to disagree agreeably.
CHALLENGE: What views do you
need to deconstruct to reconstruct to be better educated to grow and develop?
Opposition provides choices, and choices bring
consequences - good or bad. - Ezra Taft Benson
