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Stop Trying to Explain Yourself to People Who Will Never Understand
The only person who needs to understand is you
Many of the arguments we get into are over before they begin. They’re not discussions where both people go into it with an open mind. Quite often one, or both, has an agenda. And that agenda is to win.
A sign of emotional maturity and emotional health is openness. Openness doesn’t mean you don’t have firm beliefs or a firm sense of self.
It means you are willing to hear someone out, even if their views are different from yours because you acknowledge you don’t know everything and could be wrong. It means you can discuss your own beliefs without becoming defensive, shying away from certain topics, or trying to hide parts of yourself.
It takes a strong sense of self to be open.
When people lack a strong sense of self, they do not feel safe within themselves, and so they cling to their rigid beliefs. They can’t handle the idea that their beliefs are not 100% right or that it’s okay to live life differently from the way they live. They are too insecure to handle the idea that others’ differing perspectives are valid. They can’t accept that they could be wrong.
