Having an Accepting Mindset
Written by Taylor Harris.
During your teenage years it is time of discovery and disorientation. Disorientation because you never know what’s going to happen. All sorts of things go on and you really don’t know what to expect. Discovery because you are finding out who you are. A huge part of what makes you who you are is how you were raised. If you were raised in a judgmental household then you will most likely be a judgmental person. There are many people who are being raised in that kind of setting and that’s something that needs to be changed. Adolescence should grow up to be people with an accepting mindset. Nobody should be made to think that you can’t accept someone else because of your difference of opinions.
Why is it that most people in this world have been taught to think only their opinion matters? If you start off with thinking that in your teen years you will carry on that thought process for the rest of your life. This type of mindset can lead to little things like a small argument or it can even be taken an extreme. Think about divorces. Those happen most commonly because couples can’t agree or work together. There are so many things that can create these difference of opinions. A few are religion, political beliefs and gender which all spark tension between those who won’t accept anyone’s opinion but their own. Selfish, isn’t it? Unfortunately that is reality. Our society needs to get to a place where we are able to teach the kids who will be our future all of the rights things. Teach them to accept others no matter what. Even if they can’t agree. Just let it go. You should always be able to voice your opinion and you should always be able to respect someone else’s. There is no reason that should not happen.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes having a different viewpoint than others can build character. It is always necessary to form your own opinion. Opinions help you discover who you are. There is just a fine line between handling it maturely or being blatantly disrespectful about it. You can’t just put someone else down because you don’t agree with them. To have a civil and controlled conversation is way different than having a huge fight over it. Being able to teach teens the difference between these things can not only mature them but also help them in the future. With this mindset you could do so well in many things. Things like your job, communication and honestly just your everyday life. To be able to say what you think in a respectful manner without causing controversy is very important when you become an adult. That is why it need to be taught sooner than later.
On top of being taught to be humble about another’s beliefs, teens should also learn to accept others even if they don’t think the same way. Just because you and a friend can’t agree on something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be friends. You will never think the same as someone else and that’s okay. You just have to be willing to get over whatever it is that you disagree on and see past that. It is much easier to be accepting of someone than trying to change their opinion with an argument. Have you ever heard the saying “opposites attract”? That is exactly what it is referring to. People with the most different mindsets attract because you have more you can learn rather than simply thinking the exact same as someone.
This world carries so much hate and the generations under us are going to grow up in that unless something is changed. Racism is a huge example from our history of what happens when people refuse to accept others and put themselves above everyone because they think their opinion is the only one that matters. We have come such a long way since then but there is still so much progress ahead. There should always be progress ahead. Our society needs to be improving in every possible way it can every single day. That starts with those who will become our future. Teaching teens now about acceptance and maturity will change our future for the better. That is what this world lacks. Acceptance. It is not a hard thing to grasp. It’s whether we’re willing to change or not. When a person understands how important it is to be less judgemental they change for the better. It makes you a more kind hearted person and this world needs more of those.
Be a good person but don’t waste time to prove it. Don’t wait until your older to change your ways. Do what you can at a young age to make this world a better place. Even the little things help. Smile at those you wouldn’t typically talk to because it could make their whole day. You never knew what someone is going through so just be kind. That starts with how you were raised. It is a parent’s responsibility to help their child learn right from wrong. Teach your sons how to treat woman. Teach your daughters to support other girls and not tear them down. Do what you can to make your kid the best they can be. Make sure they are willing to make hard decisions for their own personal growth as well. The teens need to learn some things on their own too but if we could have more positive influence from parents it could make a huge difference.
Anything we can do to impact our future in a beneficial way is needed for it to reach its full potential. Teenagers are at the age where they are trying to find out who they are and being taught to have an accepting mindset could change everything. The generations under them wouldn’t have to grow up in a world full of hate. The generations above them could see the society become a better place because of the things they taught. There would be less fights and riots over things that could be handled with integrity and maturity in a civil conversation.
