Entertaining Thoughts

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
”It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
- Aristotle

My Thoughts
I believe this quote contains a lot of wisdom and yet it can be so hard to put into practice. The vast majority of us think what we are doing is correct so it can be very difficult to even consider other options. Not to mention we have all these belief systems, conditioning, emotions, etc... that are deep rooted, so often times are minds are made up without really thinking.

If you spend time examining other peoples' points of view, considering different opinions, then it can allow you to view the world through a more objective lens. Why does that matter? Well it can help you relate to the world better and if you can relate to the world better then gradually you can release judgments. Ultimately this can bring a better quality of life.

I'll share a short story with you which I hope better illustrates my point.

I've lived in Korea for a total of 12 years. During this time I've had to look at my beliefs numerous times. As many of you know I am from the US. Every country has it's own version of history and also what it believes to be the best way... aka the right way.
When I first came to Korea there were many things that confused me and I thought it would be better if they did something in a different way.

What I was doing is taking all of my preconceived notions about what was right or what was wrong, or a good way of doing something vs. a bad way, and placing it on a different culture. Of course that different culture also has their own beliefs.

I went through the typical psychological stages that almost all foreigners living in a country go through. First I was excited  by everything. Then I started to find things I didn't like. Next I started judging people and thinking my ways were better (ex: In the US we do it this way, it would be so much better if Korea did....). After some time I started questioning my own belief systems and eventually I ended up loving Korea. I think it also helps to study the countries history from multiple sources and try and learn the language.

Does that mean I think everything is perfect? No it doesn't. But everything isn't perfect were I am from either.

I've learned to accept that everyone (including countries as a whole) are doing what's best for them, or at least what they perceive to be best. We all have to go through our own growing pains.
To come to this realization I had to start by questioning my own belief systems.

I encourage you this week to try and entertain a different point of view.