Immerse Yourself Into Something You May Not Believe In
Shôn Ellerton, October 19, 2018
We often think our own beliefs are the correct beliefs, but put that aside for just a moment.
If you were invited to some group discussion on something which you vehemently do not believe in, would you accept? Would you be able to attend with a ‘clean slate’ and listen without having to quickly dismiss the whole notion of the discussion as being nonsense?
In my case, I would have dismissed cases which I believed were nonsense very quickly some years ago; however, I have since learned that doing this only alienates those whom you are having a discussion with regarding their own views.
If, say, for example, you are a hardened astronomist and an astrologist invites you to a dinner party with a bunch of his fellow astrologists, what would you do? In my case, I would be truly honoured to be invited. It would not be my intent to try to argue my astronomical beliefs against astrological but rather, to immerse myself into a conversation with someone who has a very different viewpoint or belief.
You may find that those whose beliefs are very different from yours find to be very interesting to interact with. I have many friends from many different faiths and beliefs and, often enough, I like to bring these topics out in the open over casual conversation. I present challenging questions and those who respond, equally, present their own set of challenging questions.
The Universe and the human mind are vast worlds, much of it unexplored. We are humbled against their complexity, their vastness, and their mystique. We cannot possibly understand everything that goes on around us, but one thing for sure, which we can do. Lower the “skeptic’s shield” from time to time when engaging in those who may have a very different viewpoint from yours. You may discover something new!
