In today's society, dissenting opinions can be found at every turn. Every person thinks they know what is best, and too many attempt to beat their own views into others' heads. It is easy to become frustrated when facing a sea of other beliefs, but it is this collection of individual opinions that strengthens our world view and pushes our boundaries.
The practical advantages of an opposing view are numerous and well documented. Lincoln frequently padded his cabinet with political rivals. Many corporate teams employ a Devil's Advocate. The saying has it that opposites attract. As much as we hating dealing with them, people who are different from us make us better as individuals. The caveat is that these people cannot battle their views onto their opponents, or they risk losing any respect their peers may have for their opinion. This is the sense in which our society has lost track of the value of differing beliefs.
Too often we try to bully others into our beliefs. To convince them to see our ways. To subvert their opinions. We cannot derive the value of others' views when we attempt to block out any noise they are making. To truly learn from the people with views counter to ours, we have to learn how to hear what they are saying. It is my opinion that the United States (and many other countries) doesn't suffer from a general attitude of evil but from a general ignorance as to how to listen. Once we can truly hear what others are saying to us, then we can finally begin to reconcile our differences.
