it’s genuinely very hard for me to be mad at another person—unless they are genuinely being unreasonable and deliberately hurtful towards me. but even so, they usually have their own reasons everyone’s allowed to live differently and make different decisions based on how they grew up and grew into the person they are, and i think understanding how inherently different we all are from each other is actually very important—not enough people grapple with that, we don’t actually sit down and comprehend that before reacting and objecting other people i also think we need to be more comfortable with saying “i understand why you think this is the case, i just don’t agree with you, and that’s totally ok”
fuck that shit idc what the other ppl say, open your heart to be able to befriend all kinds of people. You can learn from everyone. if u think u only surround urself w ppl of similar beliefs how on earth will you grow.
this involves DEVELOPING YOUR DISCERNMENT AND DISCOMFORT TOLERANCE SKILLS! is that person morally evil or just not your cup of tea? are they trying to make you feel uncomfortable or are they also maybe a little nervous and doing their best?
we could really change the landscape of what community looks like if we open ourselves up to the idea of consistently offering respect and dignity to others even when we’re not dying to become their best friend, and joyfully sharing space with someone we might not ever know more than as an acquaintance. those are members of your community too!
this also allows for change over time- in the individual and in your own perspective and capacity for connection.
two women next to me on the train are having an insightful heart to heart. a guy behind me is clearly flirting with this girl and you can tell it’s mutual. we all have rich, rich inner lives :)