Well, I guess I've finally succumbed to temptation and decided to keep a sort of journal here — both to practice my English and to improve my writing in general.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to be a tolerant person these days. It almost feels like everything is designed to trip you up, even if you’re trying to avoid conflict. I especially notice it in people. We seem to have lost a great deal of our humanity and become extremely polarized — even over the most trivial things.
The irony is that we’re living in an age of human development that supposedly promised us more connection than ever before, yet — as I now see it — we’ve become more isolated from one another in many ways. That’s where tolerance comes in. It’s a virtue, the ability to coexist with countless different and often conflicting ideas without losing your mind in the process.
The problem is that fewer and fewer people seem willing to engage in reasonable dialogue about why disagreements exist in the first place. Some might say: “You don’t have to put up with something that bothers you, you obsessive little chud!” But in the end, ignoring something — or reacting with hostility — doesn’t make it disappear from the world.
The way I see it, I’d like to reach the end of my life with the certainty that I didn’t hold onto any grudges, no matter how small. Maybe that sounds stupid or idealistic, but I sincerely doubt the opposite approach would be any more helpful. We don’t get much time on this earth, and at the very least, I want to know that I didn’t close myself off to other worlds — no matter how unfamiliar or uncomfortable they might seem.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to be a tolerant person these days. It almost feels like everything is designed to trip you up, even if you’re trying to avoid conflict. I especially notice it in people. We seem to have lost a great deal of our humanity and become extremely polarized — even over the most trivial things.
The irony is that we’re living in an age of human development that supposedly promised us more connection than ever before, yet — as I now see it — we’ve become more isolated from one another in many ways. That’s where tolerance comes in. It’s a virtue, the ability to coexist with countless different and often conflicting ideas without losing your mind in the process.
The problem is that fewer and fewer people seem willing to engage in reasonable dialogue about why disagreements exist in the first place. Some might say: “You don’t have to put up with something that bothers you, you obsessive little chud!” But in the end, ignoring something — or reacting with hostility — doesn’t make it disappear from the world.
The way I see it, I’d like to reach the end of my life with the certainty that I didn’t hold onto any grudges, no matter how small. Maybe that sounds stupid or idealistic, but I sincerely doubt the opposite approach would be any more helpful. We don’t get much time on this earth, and at the very least, I want to know that I didn’t close myself off to other worlds — no matter how unfamiliar or uncomfortable they might seem.
Hippie stuff aside, the song of the day is Seasons in the Sun. I especially like the cover done by Boyd Rice and Rose McDowall![Wholesome! [wholesome] [wholesome]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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