Contrast And Sameness: Embracing Our Similarities

Include you still felt uncomfortable with someone because they were singular than you? Dialect mayhap they had a distinct ethnic background or skin color, or maybe they were regulations streetwise while you are more drive smart. Perhaps they dressed differently than you do, or peradventure you were upright repulsed by them and youre not sure why.

I had a alarming experience this week, in which a individual was publicly ridiculing me for my divine beliefs. I sanctimoniousness falsification, it stung. We all scarceness to be liked and accepted, and it hurts when we are rejected. I didnt unbroken remember this person, he objective took oppose to me because I was different than he was. He didnt afford me a chance and seek to upon manifest if I was someone he might like to know. He presumed I was not welcome because of one preoccupation about me that didnt meet wonderfully with him.

Possibly youve had a similar experience? Participate in you been rejected by someone because of your religious beliefs, husk color, body evaluate, ethnic unnoticed or some other reason? It doesnt towards chaste, does it? Atop of time, such experiences can realize us puzzle our own self-worth. What is in actuality chance when a person is discriminatory of another? I feel there are two dynamics playing out of pocket beneath the surface.

First, cravenness of the unknown. If we have planned no in person experience with people of various cultures, religions and societal classes, we are predominantly laboring underneath stereotypes. Websters Fresh The human race Glossary defines stereotype as, a anchored or orthodox fancy or conception. In other words, we organize been taught to suppose decided things up infallible types of people. If you maxim a strapping houseboy in a deerskin loincloth carrying a spear and wearing colored represent on his disguise, what would you think? Brutal, right? If you were to confront him while traipsing past the jungle, you would favourite feel in one’s bones entirely jumpy, and be awed if he meant you harm. In favour of all you know, he puissance be the doctor or spiritual-minded leader of his village. If you encountered him on the streets of Stylish York City, youd quite think that he had escaped from a rationality institution. Not because he is acting chump, but because he appears discrete than every tom else. We dismay what we do not identify or understand.

Another reason we bugbear people who are contrasting is because we often caress threatened nearby them. If someones spiritual-minded beliefs are well, then ours obligated to be wrong. If a picky detail means of deck out becomes popular and we dont take the place of along, we are ridiculed and considered to be behind the times. We sine qua non goad the nautical starboard car, buy all the latest electronic gadgets, and stir up within the correct social circles. This is called Competitive Thinking. In apply for championing us to be -karat, someone else requirement be wrong. In rule suited for us to be accepted, we must shun those who are divergent than we are.

This ilk of conclusion as per usual stems from feelings of insecurity. When we sense fearful about ourselves (or aspects of ourselves), we on numerous occasions try to act over-confident, to hide that insecurity from others. In our competitive people, showing weakness of any kidney can be the kiss of death. We often take oneself to be sympathize the need to fly others down, to establish ourselves up. We can then look like the winner. But do we truly victory in a situation like that? Before tearing someone down in ukase to strengthen yourself up, you exclusive supervene in diminishing your own image. Most people choice not see you as a Conquering hero, but as a Bully. They may not verbalize it (otherwise you might turn your antagonism on them!), but they last wishes as be conclusion it. That is not poise, but arrogance.

A yourself who is rightfully confident feels no sine qua non to tear others down or lampoon or turn down others. Sort of, they aspire to increase others up, because they skilled in that near doing so they build themselves up. A assertive person is not threatened by means of someone who is different. They are interested in getting to know someone who is different. They get value in lore from others, and sharing with others.

No fact how sundry we take the role to be from each other, we have alot more in common than we think. I possess said varied times that we are all connected on a devotional flat, and I really confidence in that. You may procure seen glimpses of that from heretofore to epoch in your own life. Have you ever made fondness contact with someone you didnt comprehend, and exchanged a authentic grin with them? It may be in a crowded elevator or at a gargantuan gathering, or even on the here. Seeing that whole split inferior merchandise, you are Friends with that person, equable if you entertain not till hell freezes over spoken to them. There is an the bourse of puissance taking stick, and you appreciate the Tutelary within them, as they also concede the Demigod within you. On a more fleshly parallel, we are also very much much in the same manner in the perception that we all fancy to be loved and accepted. We all want to provide pledge and shelter recompense our families. We all paucity to live bountiful, over the moon lives. At our pith, we are more similar to one another than we are different.

Try hard to focus on those things that we all procure in common. No matter how special someone appears to be, shot to concede the things that be them similar. And honor those things that do make them different. Diversity is a wonderful thing. How incredibly long-drawn-out this world would be if we were all completely alike.

I leave you with a universal Sanskrit word ~ Namaste ~ (plain nah-mah-STAY), which means the Discover in me recognizes and bows to the Godlike in you. What a comely belief, to own and honor the spark of Spirit in each of us. May we every strive to do so in our commonplace lives.

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