-King Whitney Jr.
I guess this means that people have a big influence on me. Writings and differing philosophies influence me as well. In a way, this could be a blessing. I am not so stubborn in my identity that I cannot change. But I don't want to be a chameleon, believing whatever is fed to my brain. There is a certain medium in my mind that mixes being open-minded with holding yourself in check.
Listening to differing opinions is something a person should ALWAYS be open-minded about. Someone who goes through life wearing blinders, professing their beliefs without listening to others, is doomed to fail. This type of steadfastness is something that is very undesirable to me. By listening to the opinions of other people, I can come to my own conclusions about the world around me.
There are many instances where a person can't just agree with whatever is offered to them. The best example I can think of is religion. Though I am a Christian, I have to watch how much I take in and hold on to as belief because not everything that Christians say is necessarily true, or true to the word of the Bible. People can twist things to make their opinions sound righteous when they are really just a jumble of Christian ideals taken out of context to form their argument. There are also differing Christian views on any number of issues, a particular one being Terri Schiavo. In my final essay, I compared two Christian opinions on whether she should have lived or died. The person who thought she should live believed that since her body and soul were technically still connected, she was still alive. The other person offered that she no longer bore the image of God and was therefore not in need of food or nourishment. Both arguments have merit, but if one were to simply listen and adhere to one stance, they would never know that other logical explanations exist.
By looking at people's differing opinions in class, I have been able to come to my own conclusions about a variety of issues. I've noticed little changes in my behavior and way of thinking since reading what was written in American Voices. For instance, I don't look at LGBT's the same way anymore. I watch my use of the word "gay" and "queer", and am careful of the stereotypes I associate with them. Not that I ever had a negative view of LGBTs before, but I feel that now I have a better understanding of what their lives are like and how I can do my part to make them feel as comfortable as possible being who they are.
The same goes for the less fortunate. I've always poured my heart into community service activities and tried to help them, but I always created generalizations in my head. For example, I always thought of single mothers as people who acted before they thought. In some ways that stereotype still exists in my mind, but I am slowly pushing it out and trying to understand what it's like to be in that particular situation. Like all change, it takes time. As far as those in the working class, I understand now how hard it is for them just to put a roof over their heads, much less pay for college and get a degree that will allow them to move up the social ladder. I believe it is possible for them to achieve great things (that's what the American Dream is all about), but I understand the challenges and sacrifices they have to make just to get by day-to-day.
As far as learning about the identities of others, I guess I could say that I now view them all as humans. Nobody is less than me, nobody is more than me. We all exist and depend on each other in the same ways. My dad, who runs a business, likes to remind me of his managerial philosophy whenever we talk. He tells me how I need to respect everybody and form relationships with everyone, even those "under" me, because they are just like me. He tells me that he was in their position once, in the mailroom or working under a big boss, and that he never felt needed or respected. Now that he is the "boss", he makes it a priority to show everybody he works with how appreciative he is of what they do, and he says that in turn that creates a much more focused, positive work environment. Just by showing respect.
As James Howell said, "Respect a man. He will do the more."