Follow me!

Beliefs

posted on August 11, 2012

We’ve all heard that there are some topics you should never discuss with friends. I’ve never believed this, because if you are real friends you should be able to discuss any topic even if you don’t agree on it.

I’m sitting here with my morning coffee. The house is still mostly asleep. The quiet gives me time to reflect and think about the world around me.

Humans are never going to fully agree with one another. Our brains allow us each to individually form our own beliefs and make decisions about everything. The chances to two humans being in complete agreement on everything is impossible. We love, hate, like and feel meh about everything we come in contact with. The song on the radio, our frosty beverage of choice and the color of our car. Each, another decision that we each make.

The Internet opened up our front door to the world.

Now, the decisions I make and the things I believe in can be seen by the world. Each of us has the choice what to share and how much. The world around us has control over if they want to see them or not. It is the cornerstone of the social graph that our lives are now part of.

We each have beliefs that we are more passionate about than others. It is another human trait that is amazing and scary to watch at the same time.

I always think back to a line from Kevin Smith’s movie Dogma that goes:

“I just think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. People die for it, people kill for it.”

I’m full of very strong beliefs. Certain things that no one will ever change my mind on. While I’m happy to have civil conversations about them, I will never try to push them on anyone.

I also have friends with very different beliefs and I want that because if you surround yourself with only similar thinking individuals, than you’ll never grow as a person. Being exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking makes you a more well rounded person and in my mind a better individual.

As you go about your day, please try to keep in mind something my dad taught me at a very young age and that I’ve tried to pass on to my children.

“To Each Their Own.”

This means that we all get to have our own opinions, beliefs and ideas. We each get to make up our own mind.

We don’t have to like what other people think and do, but if it doesn’t directly effect us or hurt other people, then we have no reason to be concerned by it.

Try to keep this in mind always. I know that it makes my life a whole lot more pleasant and I believe that if more people started thinking this way that we might cut down on some of the insanity going on in the world around us.

Make it a great day everyone.

 

Pin It
Be Sociable, Share!
Categories: Rambles
  • http://twitter.com/TheHipsterDad Craig and Michael

    Nice post man! I like that you never say what your beliefs are just that you have some. To each their own indeed! If everyone thought like this we’d be a lot happier society. — C

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      And that was VERY much on purpose. Glad you appreciated that.

  • http://bsoi.st/ bsoist

    Great stuff, C.C! You have inspired my next post. :)

  • Todd Lohenry

    Good stuff, CC. Earlier this year, I came across this quote: Nietszche said “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Thanks for sharing that. He was a smart man.

  • Scott Gibson

    Good post! Each of us has a unique perspective, and our beliefs and value systems definitely do vary. Respecting one another is so important. Life is better when we apply that philosophy. I like the distinction you make between beliefs and ideas. We can hold to our personal beliefs while being respectful of the beliefs of others, and discuss ideas in a friendly way.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Exactly and yet it seems that SO many people can’t do this.

      Every day I see people jumping on other people because their beliefs are different. The world could be such a better place.

  • thomsinger

    This is an important post in an election year. If people would just listen to CC the world would be a better place!

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Can I quote you on that? *grin*

  • http://www.themoonlightersguide.com/ Connie Brentford

    Great article. I found your site through your TBEX gig. I cringe a bit when I see social media posts that don’t align with my own liberal views but I appreciate the fact that they’re there because I know in most cases, one view, one opinion is bad. We need all of them. I just hope they can appreciate mine as well.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Yeah, it is a bit of back and forth. I read plenty that I don’t agree with and sometimes it is hard to bite my tongue, but I try to remind myself that it is usually the right thing to do :)

  • http://stevegarfield.com Steve Garfield

    Hi CC,

    I’ve been thinking about the Massachusetts “Death with Dignity” Initiative, also known as Question 2, that’s going to be on the ballot in November.

    I support it.

    You write, “We don’t have to like what other people think and do, but if it doesn’t directly effect us or hurt other people, then we have no reason to be concerned by it.”

    I hope that people who are against this, would allow it to pass. Their vote against the initiative would directly effect those who support it, by removing their choice.

    See what I mean?

    So let it pass and move along.

    –Steve

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      I do see what you mean.

      Did you notice that I never mentioned the words politics, religion or sex in this post? It wasn’t easy, but was part of the goal of what I was trying to say.

      I’m glad that issue is on our ballot this year. I hope it is allowed because I feel it is a right that each INDIVIDUAL should have. People who are against it don’t have to ever do it, but that shouldn’t prevent others.

      It will be interesting to see how it goes.

  • Paul Jun

    Sighhhh. If only everyone thought like this, a lot of the world’s problems would be diminished. Too often, people pay mind to unnecessary provocations. Maybe they’re bored. Maybe they need to feed their ego. Whatever it may be, all the person has to do is change their mind and make the choice to focus on what really matters.

    Great post C.C. Inspiring.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      I’m with you Paul and that is why I wrote this!!!

      Glad you appreciated what I was trying to say.