Why do I do some of the things I do? How come I wait for time-sensitive things until my opportunity has passed me by?
It's like when an opportunity comes to me, I subconsciously think "it'll be around for awhile, no need to rush into anything or hurry it up." Then, almost without fail, the chance goes away and I never see it again.
Just the other day I saw a job listing that I thought would be fun. It was only 10 hours/week and paid pretty well, but I didn't call until about 3 pm (when I saw the listing at 10 am). By that time they had already filled the position!
I talked to a lady in Provo that wanted some extra help with her yard work once a week for only 2 hours, paying $10/hour, and I even went and talked to her. Then I never called her back. What the heck is that?
It's not just work -- it's internship opportunities, it's projects I could be working on, it's my dating life, it's exercise, it's making good meals, it's getting up and doing something productive, and I'm sure I could keep listing other things that I wait too long for.
I've gotten much better than I have been in the past, but I'm still not where I need to be. I have done a good job writing things down and to-do listing, but it's not enough!
I won't do it anymore. No more. I'm done. From now on I'm capitalizing on every opportunity that comes my way (within reason).
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
I never write in my journal
But I don't really think of my blog as a place to just let people know everything that's going on in my life. I guess I think of it more as a place to let people know what's going on in my head. I also guess that's probably more what a real journal should be, so maybe I'm back at square one?
I DO have a tennis tournament coming up in 3 hours, and I'm starting to get a little nervous.
I DO have a tennis tournament coming up in 3 hours, and I'm starting to get a little nervous.
Friday, May 22, 2009
A push towards the middle
It's been too long since I've posted. Sorry. I don't know who I'm apologizing to, since I don't think anyone actually reads this...
So I've been watching a lot of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (quite left-wing, but rational about it all) and The Colbert Report (also left-wing but pretends to be right-wing in order to maintain an agenda of sarcastic humor) in the past few months. I think it has slowly started to make me drift from dead center on my political viewpoint to slightly to the left.
But last night I was watching The Daily Show and actually watched Jon interview his guest (I usually skip over it, but didn't this time) Newt Gingrich. I realized that there really isn't much "truth" in politics, meaning that people are rarely right or wrong. They just have stronger or weaker opinions, and are better or worse at debating them. Jon Stewart usually does a great job debating, but last night good 'ol Newt held his own really well. I'd say he won the debate. But I wouldn't say he was right. Or wrong. Just better at debating.
It reminds me a little bit of the law system. Then again I might just be thinking of The Fugitive we watched last week, where the guy was innocent but "proven" guilty, and the cop was all "he was found guilty in a court of LAW... the guy's guilty" or something along those lines.
Anyway, this all made more sense to me last night when I was watching it. Of course I was falling asleep at the time. Good news though: not only can you text Facebook to update your status, but if you say "note" first, it'll add a note instead of update your status. (As I found out this morning when I had a new note that said "to self: "A push towards the middle.") I wonder what else you can do through text to Facebook.
So I've been watching a lot of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (quite left-wing, but rational about it all) and The Colbert Report (also left-wing but pretends to be right-wing in order to maintain an agenda of sarcastic humor) in the past few months. I think it has slowly started to make me drift from dead center on my political viewpoint to slightly to the left.
But last night I was watching The Daily Show and actually watched Jon interview his guest (I usually skip over it, but didn't this time) Newt Gingrich. I realized that there really isn't much "truth" in politics, meaning that people are rarely right or wrong. They just have stronger or weaker opinions, and are better or worse at debating them. Jon Stewart usually does a great job debating, but last night good 'ol Newt held his own really well. I'd say he won the debate. But I wouldn't say he was right. Or wrong. Just better at debating.
It reminds me a little bit of the law system. Then again I might just be thinking of The Fugitive we watched last week, where the guy was innocent but "proven" guilty, and the cop was all "he was found guilty in a court of LAW... the guy's guilty" or something along those lines.
Anyway, this all made more sense to me last night when I was watching it. Of course I was falling asleep at the time. Good news though: not only can you text Facebook to update your status, but if you say "note" first, it'll add a note instead of update your status. (As I found out this morning when I had a new note that said "to self: "A push towards the middle.") I wonder what else you can do through text to Facebook.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Fear
So as I was brushing my teeth just now and thinking about how bad I am at drawing (as I so often do), my mind entertained an idea for all of about 2 seconds that I should take a 2-D drawing class at BYU. Then I dismissed it thinking "nah, I'd be so bad at that."
Then I started thinking about why I dismissed that thought so quickly. (Keep in mind all of this is happening within like 4 seconds. Isn't the mind crazy fast? Well, in most people at least...) What is it that makes me dismiss the thought that maybe I could get better at drawing? Or what makes me shy away from attempting to get better at something that I'm not already good at? How come as soon as I have to start working hard at something in order to get better, I stop? At about the 5 second mark of this whole thought train I realized that it was fear. (p.s. my electric toothbrush has a 2 minute timer, so I guess I had a good 1 minute 55 seconds left to think about this, in which time I also decided to write a blog entry about it because it's been awhile since I posted.)
I dismiss taking a drawing class because I'm afraid that if I try it, I won't be good at it right away. I already know I'm a poor drawer, but I'm justified since I've had like no practice whatsoever. I'm afraid to go to a class that is intended to help you get better at drawing because I'm not good at it now? That makes no sense. I guess that's what fear does. Maybe that's why people are afraid of things they're not used to.
It may not be possible to eliminate all fear, but you might just be able to make it work for you. Maybe when I find something that instills fear in me, I should be more prepared to force myself to push past the fear and do it. (This doesn't apply to the rational kinds of fear like falling from a cliff. Unless I'm talking about skydiving or something, in which case never mind.)
I also think it's interesting that fear makes us vulnerable, but that it takes bravery to face a situation in which we're vulnerable. Like to me, enrolling in a drawing class makes me feel vulnerable, because I know I won't be nearly the best drawer in the class and there's the possibility that I really won't get a hang of it, putting me behind everyone else. But if I keep going to the class and trying my hardest, my vulnerability is leading me to face the fear and try to get better. I don't know if this makes sense in words, but it does in my head.
If you only do things that you already know you're good at (or will be good at), then what are you learning? You're using/developing your talents, sure. But you're certainly not gaining new ones.
I've told myself a number of times that I'm going to stop being afraid and just do stuff, and that way it'll get easier in the future. I figured fear would dissolve and everything would just become easier to do. I learned on my mission that this isn't true. I thought it would get easier to want to talk to strangers on the street. The only thing that got easier was actually speaking with them, and that was only because I became more proficient in Portuguese. But I think it was only very slightly easier for me to approach someone on the last day of my mission than it was on the first day.
I didn't learn how to disseminate fear. I learned how to overcome it.
Now I just need to get back in that same groove of overcoming fear; the fear that keeps me from new experiences, new learning opportunities, new chances to work hard and accomplish great things.
Maybe this will help me be more decisive. I fear making a bad decision even when there really is no wrong. I fear I'll regret buying the wrong kind of toothpaste or deodorant. So what? Then I'll know what not to get in the future. Maybe I don't apply the "you live, you learn" principle enough. Maybe I just try to learn without doing the living.
Then I started thinking about why I dismissed that thought so quickly. (Keep in mind all of this is happening within like 4 seconds. Isn't the mind crazy fast? Well, in most people at least...) What is it that makes me dismiss the thought that maybe I could get better at drawing? Or what makes me shy away from attempting to get better at something that I'm not already good at? How come as soon as I have to start working hard at something in order to get better, I stop? At about the 5 second mark of this whole thought train I realized that it was fear. (p.s. my electric toothbrush has a 2 minute timer, so I guess I had a good 1 minute 55 seconds left to think about this, in which time I also decided to write a blog entry about it because it's been awhile since I posted.)
I dismiss taking a drawing class because I'm afraid that if I try it, I won't be good at it right away. I already know I'm a poor drawer, but I'm justified since I've had like no practice whatsoever. I'm afraid to go to a class that is intended to help you get better at drawing because I'm not good at it now? That makes no sense. I guess that's what fear does. Maybe that's why people are afraid of things they're not used to.
It may not be possible to eliminate all fear, but you might just be able to make it work for you. Maybe when I find something that instills fear in me, I should be more prepared to force myself to push past the fear and do it. (This doesn't apply to the rational kinds of fear like falling from a cliff. Unless I'm talking about skydiving or something, in which case never mind.)
I also think it's interesting that fear makes us vulnerable, but that it takes bravery to face a situation in which we're vulnerable. Like to me, enrolling in a drawing class makes me feel vulnerable, because I know I won't be nearly the best drawer in the class and there's the possibility that I really won't get a hang of it, putting me behind everyone else. But if I keep going to the class and trying my hardest, my vulnerability is leading me to face the fear and try to get better. I don't know if this makes sense in words, but it does in my head.
If you only do things that you already know you're good at (or will be good at), then what are you learning? You're using/developing your talents, sure. But you're certainly not gaining new ones.
I've told myself a number of times that I'm going to stop being afraid and just do stuff, and that way it'll get easier in the future. I figured fear would dissolve and everything would just become easier to do. I learned on my mission that this isn't true. I thought it would get easier to want to talk to strangers on the street. The only thing that got easier was actually speaking with them, and that was only because I became more proficient in Portuguese. But I think it was only very slightly easier for me to approach someone on the last day of my mission than it was on the first day.
I didn't learn how to disseminate fear. I learned how to overcome it.
Now I just need to get back in that same groove of overcoming fear; the fear that keeps me from new experiences, new learning opportunities, new chances to work hard and accomplish great things.
Maybe this will help me be more decisive. I fear making a bad decision even when there really is no wrong. I fear I'll regret buying the wrong kind of toothpaste or deodorant. So what? Then I'll know what not to get in the future. Maybe I don't apply the "you live, you learn" principle enough. Maybe I just try to learn without doing the living.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hodgepodge
So I started this little collection of random thoughts a few weeks ago, and just realized I haven't been adding much to it, so I thought I'd just finally post it.
Answers to my own questions:
Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? Isn't the answer right there in front of you? San Diego! (Yes, I know that's just her name, but play along...)
How often do I ever answer my own questions? During prayer? During reflection? During self-evaluation? When is the answer right in front of my face? If we're really looking for it that hard, why can't we find it when it's so obvious?
Universalities
There are no hard-and-fast rules to practically anything! Name the rule, someone could probably name the exception.
Nike gives good advice when they say "just do it." It's harder than it sounds, but I guess that's what Nike's all about.
People (myself DEFINITELY included) need to lighten up and just enjoy things and learn to be empathetic. I should lose the sarcasm and learn to listen to people effectively.
Politicians are in a prime position to use superordinate goals to unite all people trying to make this country better, but instead they bicker and whine and thereby accomplish only a fraction of what they could. Compromise is a much less desirable conflict resolution method than using superordinate goals to accomplish a common goal.
Answers to my own questions:
Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? Isn't the answer right there in front of you? San Diego! (Yes, I know that's just her name, but play along...)
How often do I ever answer my own questions? During prayer? During reflection? During self-evaluation? When is the answer right in front of my face? If we're really looking for it that hard, why can't we find it when it's so obvious?
Universalities
There are no hard-and-fast rules to practically anything! Name the rule, someone could probably name the exception.
Nike gives good advice when they say "just do it." It's harder than it sounds, but I guess that's what Nike's all about.
People (myself DEFINITELY included) need to lighten up and just enjoy things and learn to be empathetic. I should lose the sarcasm and learn to listen to people effectively.
Politicians are in a prime position to use superordinate goals to unite all people trying to make this country better, but instead they bicker and whine and thereby accomplish only a fraction of what they could. Compromise is a much less desirable conflict resolution method than using superordinate goals to accomplish a common goal.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Too Dizzy
I know that's not the right kind of "to."
So in one of my random Wikipedia-skipping adventures (you know, the ones where you go to look one thing up and end up reading about 20 different articles? It's sort of a brain-cell-strengthening version of surfing videos on YouTube since you actually feel more informed afterward...), I came across the Wikipedia article for Madonna. I had no idea she was born in Michigan!
Anyway, I was really impressed to read about her beginnings. Here's a selection:
"Madonna's ballet teacher persuaded her to pursue a career in dance, so she left the college at the end of 1977 and relocated to New York City.[20] Madonna had little money and for some time lived in squalor, working at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes.[21] Speaking of her move to New York, Madonna said, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."
I think of all the times I've considered being a musician, or an actor, or a photographer, and how every time I abandoned the idea because the road would be too hard and I was worried about what people might think. It makes me think of when children say they want to be astronauts. At what point does that dream fade? When do kids stop saying they want to be an astronaut (or a policeman, or fireman, etc.) and say "I want to go into electrical engineering," or "I think I want to be in accounting." Not to say there's anything wrong with wanting those things, but what changed? Is it that they honestly no longer wanted to be an astronaut? Or did they worry about what other people would think? Or was it just too hefty of a goal for them?
DON'T LET THE OUTSIDE INFLUENCE WHO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE INSIDE!!! Although environmental factors play a big role in who we become, once we reach a conscious state in which we can actively make choices as to who we become, we don't need to let ourselves be controlled by other factors than our own will.
Speaking of will:
Lizzy: LIVE YOUR LIFE! BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER HOW ANYONE ELSE MAKES YOU THINK OR FEEL!!!! I know that was basically verbatim what you asked to hear, so I'm sorry for my lack of originality in this paragraph. Hopefully something else in this blog helps too though.
Do what you want to do, and don't let someone else determine what that is. Develop your skills and personality to mold yourself into who YOU want to be, not who you think someone else wants you to be. One of my biggest fears as a missionary was that people would join the church because they liked the missionaries and didn't want to disappoint us. I was afraid of that because either the investigators would lose their testimonies uber fast, or they would never really gain one in the first place. One of the most important things about constantly re-gaining a testimony is that you need to want it. If I just go to church because I don't want to disappoint someone else, can I honestly believe that I am progressing?? Sure I may be learning things that I wouldn't learn otherwise, but what good is it if I have no motivation to apply the things I learn??
Take time to meditate for a while, extricate the outside influences from your thoughts, and draw up all the plans of things you want to do with your life and who you want to be. Include detail and maybe a few deadlines. Make some pros-and-cons lists. Then pray and ask what Heavenly Father thinks about it all. (I guess I would be wrong in saying ignore ALL outside influences then, huh? Whoops.) The difference is that God won't judge you for who you decide to become as long as you're doing what's right in the eternal perspective.
Then remember that everything cool comes from Michigan (including Madonna) and eat some amazing homemade Winger's chicken.
So in one of my random Wikipedia-skipping adventures (you know, the ones where you go to look one thing up and end up reading about 20 different articles? It's sort of a brain-cell-strengthening version of surfing videos on YouTube since you actually feel more informed afterward...), I came across the Wikipedia article for Madonna. I had no idea she was born in Michigan!
Anyway, I was really impressed to read about her beginnings. Here's a selection:
"Madonna's ballet teacher persuaded her to pursue a career in dance, so she left the college at the end of 1977 and relocated to New York City.[20] Madonna had little money and for some time lived in squalor, working at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes.[21] Speaking of her move to New York, Madonna said, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."
I think of all the times I've considered being a musician, or an actor, or a photographer, and how every time I abandoned the idea because the road would be too hard and I was worried about what people might think. It makes me think of when children say they want to be astronauts. At what point does that dream fade? When do kids stop saying they want to be an astronaut (or a policeman, or fireman, etc.) and say "I want to go into electrical engineering," or "I think I want to be in accounting." Not to say there's anything wrong with wanting those things, but what changed? Is it that they honestly no longer wanted to be an astronaut? Or did they worry about what other people would think? Or was it just too hefty of a goal for them?
DON'T LET THE OUTSIDE INFLUENCE WHO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE INSIDE!!! Although environmental factors play a big role in who we become, once we reach a conscious state in which we can actively make choices as to who we become, we don't need to let ourselves be controlled by other factors than our own will.
Speaking of will:
Lizzy: LIVE YOUR LIFE! BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER HOW ANYONE ELSE MAKES YOU THINK OR FEEL!!!! I know that was basically verbatim what you asked to hear, so I'm sorry for my lack of originality in this paragraph. Hopefully something else in this blog helps too though.
Do what you want to do, and don't let someone else determine what that is. Develop your skills and personality to mold yourself into who YOU want to be, not who you think someone else wants you to be. One of my biggest fears as a missionary was that people would join the church because they liked the missionaries and didn't want to disappoint us. I was afraid of that because either the investigators would lose their testimonies uber fast, or they would never really gain one in the first place. One of the most important things about constantly re-gaining a testimony is that you need to want it. If I just go to church because I don't want to disappoint someone else, can I honestly believe that I am progressing?? Sure I may be learning things that I wouldn't learn otherwise, but what good is it if I have no motivation to apply the things I learn??
Take time to meditate for a while, extricate the outside influences from your thoughts, and draw up all the plans of things you want to do with your life and who you want to be. Include detail and maybe a few deadlines. Make some pros-and-cons lists. Then pray and ask what Heavenly Father thinks about it all. (I guess I would be wrong in saying ignore ALL outside influences then, huh? Whoops.) The difference is that God won't judge you for who you decide to become as long as you're doing what's right in the eternal perspective.
Then remember that everything cool comes from Michigan (including Madonna) and eat some amazing homemade Winger's chicken.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The little grey cells
I've wasted my fair share of time. Most notably when John broke his foot over the summer and we played Halo for hours on end, or when I got addicted to Desktop Tower Defense. None of my time wasting activities have actually made me feel dumber afterward though. Even spending time watching people's random videos on YouTube has usually been entertaining. Until today.
It must've been the lure of Michael Jackson's amazing music. I sat watching the following video (after finding it from the Best of Craigslist) and could feel myself getting dumber as I watched. I think at around 4 minutes my eyes crossed. Whether this was a result of my tiredness, or the result of my nerve endings forgetting how to tell my eyes to look straight ahead, I'm not sure. Either way, I left the encounter with a few thousand less brain cells than I started with. I suppose a good majority of them had just been invigorated by my finishing Shakespeare's The Tempest, so I'm not sure if they died happy, or if they felt like they were cut down in the prime of their lives. Either way, no point in dwelling on the past.
I'm going to stop writing now, because I can feel whoever is reading this getting dumber as they read on, so I will spare them the grief that comes with thousands of little cerebral would-be funerals. Please don't watch the whole video. Go find something more worthwhile to do, which probably doesn't include watching the "slow motion baby laughing" video on YouTube for the entire video's length. (Although that one is funny, not dumbening).
I'm going to bed.
It must've been the lure of Michael Jackson's amazing music. I sat watching the following video (after finding it from the Best of Craigslist) and could feel myself getting dumber as I watched. I think at around 4 minutes my eyes crossed. Whether this was a result of my tiredness, or the result of my nerve endings forgetting how to tell my eyes to look straight ahead, I'm not sure. Either way, I left the encounter with a few thousand less brain cells than I started with. I suppose a good majority of them had just been invigorated by my finishing Shakespeare's The Tempest, so I'm not sure if they died happy, or if they felt like they were cut down in the prime of their lives. Either way, no point in dwelling on the past.
I'm going to stop writing now, because I can feel whoever is reading this getting dumber as they read on, so I will spare them the grief that comes with thousands of little cerebral would-be funerals. Please don't watch the whole video. Go find something more worthwhile to do, which probably doesn't include watching the "slow motion baby laughing" video on YouTube for the entire video's length. (Although that one is funny, not dumbening).
I'm going to bed.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
In tolerance
If you can think of what movie/TV show has a line about being so famous, you're IN famous (as a description of that infamous means) the you get 100 points and my respect, because I can't remember what it's from.
Anyway, my story begins as such: I was watching the Super Bowl and saw an awesome ad saying that Denny's will be giving out free breakfast to every American on Tuesday February 3rd. (Today). So we got a big group all excited to go (at least 12 or 13 people said they'd show up at out apartment at 7 am, 0 of whom followed through, meaning at 12 or 13 who completely bailed/flaked out.), I set my alarm for 6:45 (and 6:47 and 6:50 because I know myself and my snooze is 5 minutes), and when I woke up we heard that the line around Denny's (not IN Denny's, but AROUND it) was way too long to be worth it. Grrr. I'll live. I made my own pancakes and eggs and toast and OJ and called it my own free mini slam breakfast. I'm over it.
In my grief I set my status on Facebook to: "Bob is a little mad at Denny's for their super duper long line today and ruining our plans. Crappy free breakfast promise: curse you!" Someone commented saying "And this is just a glimpse of what life would be like if we had 'free' healthcare! AAARRRRGGHHHH!"
...
For a long time I was confused about why I seem to be one of a few who doesn't have really strong political opinions. I kept thinking that I must not be as educated, or perhaps not as involved as other people. Recently I've realized I'm just more of a "white" personality. (Not Caucasian. Refer to The Color Code to know what I really mean.) I'm a peacekeeper. I see all sides to practically everything. There are still things that I'm stubborn about, but deep down I can usually see why people believe what they believe.
I think rather than pushing our views onto people, we should try to understand where others come from. That sounds cliché, but whatever. We need tolerance in the world, not dramatic debates.
You're never going to find a policy (outside of the gospel) that can satisfy everyone. Free national healthcare? Interesting how it's mostly the wealthy that are against it and the poor that are for it. So maybe the woman who posted the comment to my status doesn't want there to be "long lines" in order for her to get health care. When's the last time she had to stand in line at a soup kitchen to get free food? She doesn't need to because she can pay for it otherwise. It seems ridiculous to her to need to wait for the throngs in order to get medical help. What if she couldn't afford it otherwise? I bet her opinion would change. Seems to me like pushing political theory will always hurt some and help some. So get off your high horse if you think you've got the "right opinion." You'll almost always notice me get an uncomfortable look when I'm around people who talk politics, partly because I don't know what they're talking about, partly because I don't care, and mostly because I play devil's advocate with them in my head and resolve to believing they think they're more right than they actually are.
Intolerance can be acceptable I think, notably when the intolerance is directed at a person/group being intolerant. (Nazi Germany is the first that comes to mind.) The Savior being intolerant of the moneychangers in the temple is another example. It's not a sin to be intolerant of sin. (For our everyday purposes, however, it may be a sin to be intolerant of a sinner. Excommunication/disfellowship(ment?) is meant to help the individual in the process to repentance, not as a punishment.)
Anyway, we should learn to be so tolerant that we're "IN tolerance" :-) I.e. tolerance surrounds us in such a way that we can accept what happens in life with a smile and an understanding that what doesn't kill us just makes us stronger. (If not physically, then at least metaphorically.)
Suggestions from a white personality with very limited experience:
Anyway, my story begins as such: I was watching the Super Bowl and saw an awesome ad saying that Denny's will be giving out free breakfast to every American on Tuesday February 3rd. (Today). So we got a big group all excited to go (at least 12 or 13 people said they'd show up at out apartment at 7 am, 0 of whom followed through, meaning at 12 or 13 who completely bailed/flaked out.), I set my alarm for 6:45 (and 6:47 and 6:50 because I know myself and my snooze is 5 minutes), and when I woke up we heard that the line around Denny's (not IN Denny's, but AROUND it) was way too long to be worth it. Grrr. I'll live. I made my own pancakes and eggs and toast and OJ and called it my own free mini slam breakfast. I'm over it.
In my grief I set my status on Facebook to: "Bob is a little mad at Denny's for their super duper long line today and ruining our plans. Crappy free breakfast promise: curse you!" Someone commented saying "And this is just a glimpse of what life would be like if we had 'free' healthcare! AAARRRRGGHHHH!"
...
For a long time I was confused about why I seem to be one of a few who doesn't have really strong political opinions. I kept thinking that I must not be as educated, or perhaps not as involved as other people. Recently I've realized I'm just more of a "white" personality. (Not Caucasian. Refer to The Color Code to know what I really mean.) I'm a peacekeeper. I see all sides to practically everything. There are still things that I'm stubborn about, but deep down I can usually see why people believe what they believe.
I think rather than pushing our views onto people, we should try to understand where others come from. That sounds cliché, but whatever. We need tolerance in the world, not dramatic debates.
You're never going to find a policy (outside of the gospel) that can satisfy everyone. Free national healthcare? Interesting how it's mostly the wealthy that are against it and the poor that are for it. So maybe the woman who posted the comment to my status doesn't want there to be "long lines" in order for her to get health care. When's the last time she had to stand in line at a soup kitchen to get free food? She doesn't need to because she can pay for it otherwise. It seems ridiculous to her to need to wait for the throngs in order to get medical help. What if she couldn't afford it otherwise? I bet her opinion would change. Seems to me like pushing political theory will always hurt some and help some. So get off your high horse if you think you've got the "right opinion." You'll almost always notice me get an uncomfortable look when I'm around people who talk politics, partly because I don't know what they're talking about, partly because I don't care, and mostly because I play devil's advocate with them in my head and resolve to believing they think they're more right than they actually are.
Intolerance can be acceptable I think, notably when the intolerance is directed at a person/group being intolerant. (Nazi Germany is the first that comes to mind.) The Savior being intolerant of the moneychangers in the temple is another example. It's not a sin to be intolerant of sin. (For our everyday purposes, however, it may be a sin to be intolerant of a sinner. Excommunication/disfellowship(ment?) is meant to help the individual in the process to repentance, not as a punishment.)
Anyway, we should learn to be so tolerant that we're "IN tolerance" :-) I.e. tolerance surrounds us in such a way that we can accept what happens in life with a smile and an understanding that what doesn't kill us just makes us stronger. (If not physically, then at least metaphorically.)
Suggestions from a white personality with very limited experience:
- Put yourself in someone else's shoes.
- Don't be quick to judge.
- Try to do someone else's homework at least once (not as service, but as a humbling activity for yourself).
- Every time you find a bad quality in someone, match it with at least one equally-weighted good quality.
- Only poke fun at people you know would feel comfortable poking fun at you.
- Don't say "poke fun" in public. It's an annoying phrase. While you're at it, don't say the word "utilize" either. Ironically enough, the word "utilize" is useless. Just say "use." :-)
- Don't be judgmental of those who DO say "poke fun" or "utilize."
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