Ignorance is one of the most powerful weapons in the world; it has the ability to ruin lives, alter the course of history, and even destroy the world that we live in. Ignorance is something to be feared, and yet it is openly accepted by everyone without complaint. We associate ourselves with people who share the same views as us, and we look down on those who have beliefs that we view as unconventional. We coddle and protect ourselves from varying viewpoints and ideologies and feel threatened when our views are challenged, but why? Is it our pride that causes us to resist ideas that differ from our own, or are we just too afraid to accept that we can't always be right?
Our cells die and replace themselves throughout our lifetime; our bodies change and evolve and develop, but that's a change that we've grown to accept without fear. What most people fail to realize is that our opinions and our ideas are meant to change and evolve in the exact same way. We are meant to keep improving and educating ourselves, because stopping our development is the same as stopping our growth. When we have the ability and the chance to make ourselves better, why shouldn't we take it?
We live in a generation where we have all the knowledge of the world available at our fingertips, but we fail to take it upon ourselves to use the resources we've been given to educate ourselves and gain the wisdom that we need to better understand our world. When we do gain the wisdom we desire, we fail to share it with others; having a narrow minded perspective or letting others retain one leads to a life full of restrictions and regression. Everyone dreams of exploring the world, but that entails more than just visiting different places of the globe; exploring means embracing all the different things that our world has to offer, including things that we're not familiar with or in agreement with. It's time to realize that we're not meant to listen with the intention of answering back, but rather to understand what we've been told.
It's not a crime to change your mind in the middle of an argument and it won't hurt your pride to openly admit that you're wrong, but there's also no reason to avoid advocating for what is right. If you believe in something with everything in you, support it. Share your ideas with others but don't take offense if they disagree. The right to form an opinion belongs to everyone, but no one is entitled to forcing their ideas on others without their consent. Educate while becoming educated, embrace the different ideas that you're exposed to, and be willing to look at all sides of an argument before forming your own opinion.
Don't stamp your opinion on your brain to remain unaltered, but let your mind remain fluid and open to suggestion so that it can adapt to changing circumstances. Accept that the world exists in shades of gray, and that no one shade deserves more appreciation than another. Each religion deserves to be understood, each culture deserves to be valued, and each opinion deserves to be taken into consideration.
We've convinced ourselves that building walls and putting up barriers around our minds will shield us from ideologies that contradict our own, but all we've done is confined ourselves to a narrow and limited way of living; by avoiding the exotic, we are preventing ourselves from becoming better than we are. By refusing to accept that our own beliefs could potentially be flawed, we are taking away any opportunity available to us for personal growth. Just as the seasons change throughout the year, our ideas are meant to be refined, as well.
By exploring the different kinds of music, art, food, and ideas that exist in our world, we're enabling ourselves to connect with other people, as well as ourselves. By educating ourselves on the issues that impact our daily lives, we are allowing ourselves to feel more self confident when challenged and safer when facing the world. By giving people the opportunity to share their opinions without closing ourselves off from the possibility of adapting their ideas, we are making them feel more secure while providing ourselves with the chance to gain more wisdom on things we don't know as much about.
Ignorance may be one of the most powerful weapons in the world, but wisdom is the only thing with the ability to combat it. When we take initiative to teach ourselves about things like mental health, social justice, and climate change, we are arming ourselves for the fight against ignorance and protecting ourselves from falling victim to it. With each skill or fact that we obtain, we are allowing ourselves to understand our world a little bit more.
Learning the warning signs of an abusive relationship can help you protect yourself or a loved one, looking up easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint can allow our planet to flourish, and watching YouTube videos on how to play an instrument can help you develop a passion that will last a lifetime. Use your time to educate yourself on social issues like gender discrimination and income inequality.
Understand what the "Black Lives Matter" movement is really about before assuming it's an open challenge against the idea that all lives matter. Learn what each presidential candidate supports before throwing on a "Make America Great Again" cap or "Feel the Bern" shirt. Do research on mental illness before throwing around words like "weak" and "overdramatic." Learn the symptoms of depression and anxiety so you can help the friend who never openly asks for support. When we arm ourselves with knowledge, we are enabling ourselves to grow both personally and as a society. Experience the world in new ways everyday and keep moving forward.
