(a 4 minute read) Let me tell you why you are incorrect; Them are fighting words. Do you know in how many ways one can deliver this message of “Let me tell you why you are incorrect!?”  We can do it with an insinuation an action some words a look an attitude with even a simple gesture.

The question is not how to deliver it better, the question is why even have that that that whatever you want to call it ‘drive’ maybe, to deliver this message?

Well, it’s obvious why I would!

I am not going to listen to what you are saying, while I believe the opposite and let you keep going without correcting you!!
Then, it’s your turn to tell me why I am incorrect………

Please read the above paragraph one more time. Isn’t this exactly what we have happening day in and day out especially on social media…………

At the same time, most people express that they are sick and tired of the polarization………….

“Hey Reda, are you saying I should stop expressing my opinion!!??”

No, no that is not what I am saying, but hold onto that thought for a minute and we’ll get back to it.

Mother Teresa offered some tips on Humility and here are two of them;

“Give-in into discussions even if you are right”

“Accept censures even if unmerited”

You wait a minute Reda!! You’ve been saying that Humility is all about Self-Confidence and Strength then offer these two attributes from Mother Teresa about Humility!!
What gives man!?

OK, here it is; When someone offers their opinion, we’ve been trained to think of ourselves…………. of ME….

To not respond to such opinion, we’ve been trained to take it as an admission of;
ME is WRONG.

It hurts to FEEL wrong………….. Therefore I respond with my differing opinion

So what do ME need to do?

So 1^st I need not focus on ME because I am Strong and Confident

2^nd therefore Me is not HURT

3^rd Me has no reason to RESPOND

4^th A “hmm” or a kind “I see where you stand” is sufficient

5^th Wow……….. I have placed myself SECOND

A response of “I see where you’re coming from” or the like is not submission is not self-deprecation is not DEFEAT………….. IT IS NOT.

Placing yourself SECOND is not APPROVAL to the opinion you just heard,

It is RISING ABOVE THE OCCASION

I BELIEVE THAT”S WHERE MOTHER TERESA IS COMING FROM

Go and think back and think to ONE TIME that you saw someone in a back and forth of
“let me tell you why you are incorrect”
that ended up in one telling the opposing one, “I now agree with you”!

As I do not believe in NEVER, how about the answer is “extremely SELDOM!”

Yet, there is one KEY ASPECT that feeds us;

Each debater FEELS GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES
AND ACKNOWLEDGES that the other one is an ASS
AND THAT FEELS GOOD MY FRIEND

Isn’t it time to end this vicious cycle of polarization??

How?

HUMILITY my friend, HUMILITY

I told you we’ll get back to the question it in a minute 🙂

The question was, “Hey Reda, are you saying I should stop expressing my opinion!!??”

The answer is, “Absolutely express your opinion…………. Humbly!”

A few examples on how that may look like;

• If you are starting the opinion ladder, state your opinion and emphasize “OPINION” and stay far far away from indignation during stating. If you receive an opposing opinion back, you can say something like “I guess we have differing opinions and that’s OK”, and smile.
• If coming into the opinion ladder, you can state something like “I happen to disagree but we’ll probably butt heads and I’d rather we do not”, and smile.
• If and when you FEEL your blood is boiling at the OPINION you just heard, say this to yourself, ”This is not about ME and what I think.” This statement to yourself just placed ME second to the one speaking……………… A JEWEL in training oneself to be HUMBLE.

Another JEWEL in Humility is,
“It is the one in the mirror that can IMPACT a change in the status quo.”
SO START WITH ME TO ULTIMATELY END POLARIZATION IN OUR SOCIETY

Hope you recognize that the focus here was on HUMILITY and not polarization 🙂

My Lord, i say i seek You and it is hard to seek You as it takes work. May this work be approached with passion and love and therefore is no longer work, as said by St. Teresa of Avila. That’s hard my Creator but it is what You ask of me, that’s for sure. May i continue to seek and most of all accept and apply what You are laying in front of me. May i not walk around or ignore what You lay in front of me. i thank You and i love You my Maker. Amen.