Why Your 20s Are the Best Time to Learn From Your Opponents
Sheltering from the opposing side is hindering your growth.
I’m ashamed to admit this but, looking back, I was very close-minded throughout my early 20s.
I believed that only my side could be right and that anyone who disagreed with me, especially politically, was wrong, even evil.
However, this year was a turning point for me.
One day, a friend and I were discussing a favorite thinker of hers.
She was raving about how much they changed her perspectives on life, trying to convince me to listen to just one of their lectures before making up my mind.
I had quickly googled them as she sang their praises and rolled my eyes at her, noting all the things they were saying that I disagreed with and how terrible of a person they must be if they believed these things.
And then, a few weeks later, I listened to a 3-hour-long interview and my heart sank into my stomach with guilt as I instantly realized how wrong I had been about this person.
I found myself agreeing with some points and disagreeing with others, but I came away learning so much from the conversation that I couldn’t ignore how close-minded I had been all these years.
