We are all different.
This statement may seem obvious, but often the most obvious statements need to be questioned and explored the most, precisely because we question them the least.
Although we all share the essential experience of being human, each of us filters that experience through our own characteristics, prior knowledge and experience, and above all, through our own consciousness, the mysterious element that gives us a sense of individuality and makes us unique and different from all other people in the world. Each of us thus lives a fragment of the human experience.
The reality of a president will be different from the reality of a miner or a journalist; a woman’s experience will be different from a man’s experience; a poor person’s from a wealthy person’s…
But whoever we are, none of us can experience the full spectrum of human reality. Therefore, whatever worldview we may have, it is incomplete. It is partly based on truth, and partly on ignorance.
If we humbly accept this, our own worldview is limited. However, if we embrace different perspectives and respect diverse ways of life, we can actually broaden our understanding and construct a broader picture of reality.
However, it seems that we are unable to achieve this because our differences continue to lead to conflicts and reflect a general lack of tolerance, manifested through judgments and demeaning of those who think differently from us, not to mention extreme examples – which, unfortunately, are becoming less extreme and more common – violence towards those with different worldviews.
Why do we continue to clash over different ways of living our lives?
In the age of social media, we have access to a global platform for establishing dialogue and communication. However, even though many people express their opinions, it appears that we have less dialogue and more one-sided monologues where nobody listens to others or learns from them, but rather, everyone just amplifies their own views louder.
Perhaps it’s time to turn to genuine dialogue and openness in order to truly understand and embrace different worldviews and ways of life. It is not enough to just have a place where we can communicate; we must also learn how to communicate effectively.
We all share the experience of being human, so we all have something in common. If we prioritize this common experience, we can understand that our different shades of reality are not a problem, but a solution. They allow us to complement each other and build harmony in our society.
The fundamental ethical principle of harmonious coexistence is to live and let others live. Not in the sense of ignoring each other, but in the sense of not imposing our opinions on others, while also not being afraid to express them or listen to others.
It is about making an effort to understand others, without assuming that just because we disagree with them, their ideas are necessarily unethical.
We need to keep in mind that our worldview can be as strange to others as theirs is to us.
Our world is facing many problems. If we are unable to listen to others and reconcile different approaches, If we don’t have, we won’t be able to find creative solutions necessary to face those real and immediate challenges. There is a real need for dialogue born out of open-mindedness.
In that context, some questions arise:
Are we prone to quick condemnation?
Do we accept others’ right to a different worldview?
Do we truly understand another person’s worldview or do we have a distorted image of it in our minds?
How much do the media and other influential factors influence our prejudices?
Accepting our differences also emphasizes the importance of our authenticity.
We cannot accept others if we do not accept ourselves.
Sometimes we fear being true to ourselves because we are afraid of not being accepted.
But if we strive to be someone else, if we strive to be what we think is expected of us, we cannot contribute our piece to the puzzle.
Being authentic does not necessarily mean being original, extravagant, or rebellious.
It simply means