Tuesday April 26, 2016 #799
“You can change yourself and you can change the situation but you absolutely cannot change other people. Only they can do that.”
~Joanna Trollope
It is amazing to me how much time people waste and how much energy they expend in the futile attempt to change other people, and what they believe. Whether out of a kind heart or a misguided belief that others must believe as they do (about sports, politics, religion, or anything else), people are constantly trying to change other people. It’s a useless exercise. Unless someone is open to change, no clever argument or more dramatic persuasive techniques can force a real change. People might agree with you, but unless they really want to evolve their way of thinking, their agreement is just a ruse to get you to stop!
I am not saying we should not engage in meaningful debate or to stop expressing our views. I am saying we should not do this when it is unwanted, nor should we damn people for not believing the way we do. There are many valid opinions and belief systems and we will do well as individuals and as a society when we respect others’ ideas and beliefs and focus on being better humans ourselves, rather than trying to change others.