Why doesn't everyone else think like me?

In the midst of a heated political election where opinions are shared freely and openly it has caused me to reflect on the very nature of our own political, social, and economic views and beliefs. In the modern day of social media these views are shared quite ardently. It appears that most things posted are either very in favor or against. It's as if everyone knows the answer or at least knows what the answer is not. Certitude over right and wrong, fact or fiction, best or worst seems to prevail in the rhetoric. Personally I struggle with extremes and superlatives. I don't like them because I find them rarely true. Even standardized testing taught me that superlatives are almost never the correct choice. 

When I see two sides adamantly exclaim they are right and the other side is wrong I wonder if either side is right or wrong. Both sides have sensible people. Both sides have support and rational. Yet they just can't agree. 

I find myself looking at the chaos and thinking, "if only everyone else was rational and thought like I do!"

I'm befuddled by the absurd senseless idiotic ideas and "facts" spread around. Has everyone gone crazy? This is not difficult people! The answer is so clear that I question your very ability to function as a human being!

Sound familiar? 

You probably have the exact same thoughts. So who is right? Who is the sensible one? Who does have the best worldview? As much as I would like to think it's me I know it's not. 

And that is the lesson I hope we can all learn. So many of us are hardened in our position that we lose the humility to accept that we could be wrong. We fail to consider that there are others who are more knowledgeable, rational, considerate, and loving than us. We fail to consider that our belief may be misguided or incomplete. 

Yet so many of us continue to entrench ourselves in our position. We keep going back to the same sources of information to fortify our resolve in our stance. Maybe it's time we seriously consider why someone else would hold the views they do. Maybe it's time to consider that the world you wish to see isn't what's best or right. Maybe it's a good thing not everyone thinks the way you do.