Agreeing to Differ Posted in: Belief and Truth

When a point of view is assumed to be something much more than a simple point of view, for example, we might blow it up into ‘the complete and final understanding of the meaning of life and everything else” … rather than accept it as but a partial appreciation, simply seen from our particular point or angle, then it becomes very difficult for us to accommodate contrary perceptions as anything other than plain wrong.

Why are we so keen to believe that we have the complete handle on everything? Is it really realistic that we have? COME ON.

Yet almost all religions do this without fail. Each believing that only they have the true understanding, and all others fall somewhere in the range of misguided through to complete demons. For this reason, I am not so keen on organised religion.

But if we accept our own point of view as a valid yet partial appreciation of truth, seen from where we stand at the present, and have the humility to likewise credit the points of views of others (regardless of how they see themselves and us), we move into a different space. A space where we can simultaneously maintain confidence in our own position and perception, yet not feel threatened by contradictory views, and therefore find no need to demonise those who embrace them. For us the possibility exists that seeming contradictions might not be contradictions after all. They might simply be appreciations of other aspects of the same thing. But seen from other points of view. It then becomes very easy for us to agree to differ. Even when the other party doesn’t want to! 🙂

Differing for us is not a question of I am right and you are wrong, but more of I reserve the right to look from my own point of view, and I accept that you likewise have that right.

Do you agree or differ?