Don’t Yuck My Yum
As much as we strive to be unaffected by the opinions of others, most people do care what other people think. We are social creatures, and mutual acceptance is an integral part of society.
As it happens, we are everybody else’s other people.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we have power in the lives of those around us. Our friends, coworkers, and family all care to greater or lesser degrees what we think.
If you are still balking at this idea, consider the power of social media to influence. An entire industry has grown up around the ability of social media (i.e., our opinions) to influence others. Shares and likes rule the day.
So, other people care what we think. So what?
So this. Knowing that we have the power to influence other’s thoughts, and therefore their emotions, we have an obligation. All power comes with obligation, and we must be good stewards. (Spider-Man, Winston Churchill, and Jesus all knew this.)
Back to yucking my yum, this statement came up at a party recently. Now in full disclosure, it was a during a heated discussion of the relative merits of various kinds of Cheetos.
Nonetheless, it got me thinking, what are the other ways that we discount the opinions of those around us. We say “to each his own”, and then proceed to wrinkle our noses at their choice of clothes, grammar, or political candidate.
When a family of four can’t agree on pizza toppings, it’s not reasonable to think that any group of two or more will be in total agreement on topics as personal as religion, politics, sexuality, ecology, or parenting.
The solution, as always, comes back to choice.
How we choose to behave in the face of differences is what allows us to live in harmony with almost anyone. Respect, tolerance, and an open-mind are the simple (not easy) tools instilled within us.
Now, I’m not confused. I know we live in divided times. I hold no illusion that these 356 words will alter the geopolitical landscape.
But remembering not to yuck your yum might change me. And that’s a start.
