What I read that day got me thinking.
The Facebook post had an image with text on it that stated a set of personal beliefs and opinions. The person who posted it wrote, “If you disagree with me, then just unfriend me right now.”
Since when did we have to agree with one another about everything in order for us to have friendships, or even just respect one another? When did agreeing start correlating with respect?
It’s a concept that I may never understand -- the idea that people cannot just agree to disagree and that to respect someone, we must fully agree with all of their views and lifestyle choices. From my experiences in life, I’ve learned that it’s just the opposite. Maybe when it comes to dating it’s a different story, because the connection you have with a significant other is different than one you have with a friend. But I can honestly say that my friends and I do not agree on everything; from our favorite things to some of our moral and ethical views, we are different.
Surprise! Our friendships are still strong and I love my friends with my whole heart. No two people are the same, and none of my friends and I see things all the same. For example, I’m a pretty conservative person and a good portion of my friends do have liberal values. We still find ways to bond and anything we do disagree on, we just agree to disagree. We don’t try to shove our beliefs down each other’s throats -- we just respect one another. And guess what, despite our differences, I have learned a lot about myself from them.
We have to realize that we live in a world where we can’t censor every single little thing. We are going to have coworkers who come from different races, religions, values, and if we truly want to make the most of our lives, we can’t keep ourselves sheltered from the things that we don't agree with.
Now, does that mean that we absolutely need to become friends with everyone? Not at all. There are some people who we are not meant to be friends with, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t block out someone just because they’re not on the same page with you with everything. Don’t walk around with that “if you don’t agree with me, just unfriend me” attitude.
Because in all honesty, what does that say about you, and where in life is that going to take you? You don’t need to change your values for one another. Friendships can work out if you have respect.
