We are, to a large extent, a product of our life experiences.
For example, I learned from writing Escape to America that my views on socialism and communism were shaped by my family’s personal, real-life experience. It also dawned on me that someone holding the opposite view likely had a very different life experience. In fact, if that person wrote a family memoir, it would probably look nothing like mine. And that, in and of itself, shouldn't be a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have a profound distaste for socialism and communism. But hopefully the next time I run into someone who holds an opposite view on this or any other issue, my initial reaction won't be annoyance or walking away from the conversation with a host of negative assumptions.
Rather, I should genuinely seek to understand why they believe what they believe and how they came to that belief. And if they would do the same for me, a real conversation may ensue, and we can possibly learn from one another.
For example, I learned from writing Escape to America that my views on socialism and communism were shaped by my family’s personal, real-life experience. It also dawned on me that someone holding the opposite view likely had a very different life experience. In fact, if that person wrote a family memoir, it would probably look nothing like mine. And that, in and of itself, shouldn't be a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have a profound distaste for socialism and communism. But hopefully the next time I run into someone who holds an opposite view on this or any other issue, my initial reaction won't be annoyance or walking away from the conversation with a host of negative assumptions.
Rather, I should genuinely seek to understand why they believe what they believe and how they came to that belief. And if they would do the same for me, a real conversation may ensue, and we can possibly learn from one another.