How To Be A Positive Contributing Member of Society
By Lilly
Remember how you learned in school? By listening to your teachers and absorbing the information given about different subjects. You grew a lot and gained a lot of knowledge by the time that you graduated High School or college, right? That's because you listened to the things being taught and to the lectures that your instructors gave with an open mind. Often, you respectfully participated in discussions in class and listened to other students and your teachers' viewpoints. Then, only after listening and absorbing all the viewpoints, you'd come to your own interpretation s and conclusions, or, you'd accept what was said by others as fact.
However, in the everyday world, I've noticed that many people hold fast to their own beliefs and viewpoints. There is no room to be open minded to listening to other people's viewpoints at all. This leads to a stonewall in progress and the slow ability for society to resolve the problems and issues that affect us all.
I believe that how you see the world is a culmination of your upbringing, education, and experiences. But a lot of times how you see the world is perspective and having the humility to accept that you could be wrong in your views and beliefs. Being closed-minded makes you unable to learn and grow as a person. When it comes to social and political issues, being closed-minded prevents being able to solve problems in a way that is effective and fair to everyone. However, if we can open up to the possibility that we could be wrong, and listen with an open mind to each other, effective communication and progress can be achieved. Growing as a person and being an effective agent of change and progress depends on your ability to listen to others and then continuously adjusting your viewpoints and understanding about the world.