Outnumbered, Take Two

[jackofallgeeks]

I'm feeling it again, though not as oppressively as I did before. But, it seems the great majority of my good friends, the people I really like being around, my friends - most of them are on 'the other side of the fence' if you will. I dare say most of the people I grew up with are on The Other Side. And I don't get it. I don't get how I could, not so much attract different-minded people, but in that I haven't attracted like-minded people. Maybe I just haven't really been exposed to like-minded people. Is the traditional way of thinking really dying so hard?

It brings up questions though - if I've never been exposed to people who think like I do (AJ from 4th grade was on The Other Side, so it's not a new thing) then how did I come to be who I am? Some would say it's family influence, that I think the way I do because my parents think that way. Is that so bad, really? But the implications insult me - it implies that everyone else in the world thinks for themselves, while I just follow along with 'The Crowd' - my family. Funny, though, considering most of society seems to be on The Other Side.

The problem I find, though, in expressing myself on this point, is the friction it generates. It seems to me that most of my friends live on the basis that no one can ever be wrong, simply - everyone is right. There is no objective truth because everything is on a case-by-case basis.

I can't comprehend that - it goes against non-contradiction, the idea that something can't both be and not be at the same time in the same way. You can't have something that IS red and IS NOT red, something that IS human and ISN'T human, something that IS living and NOT living. One may argue that that's not the case in point, but something can't both be RIGHT and WRONG at the same time, and yet it's stated that everyone is right, even when people OBVIOUSLY disagree. It boggles my mind how someone can truly believe that and not go insane thinking about it.

In a simplistic, basic way of looking at it, I believe that there is one truth, something that is right regardless of situation or circumstance - and when I say "one truth" it's not to imply that there is one single statement I can phrase for you that covers all the bases. But there are things that are objectively true and false. And it fits our reality. Gravity works towards the center of the earth, regardless of where you are or what you may thing. Regardless of personal paradigm (as shown by many a stoner...) people can't simply fly of their own power. At the very least we need a hang-glider (though, that's not truly flying).

But most of the people I associate seem to believe the former - that whatever you think is right 'for you', and that no one has the right to 'impose' morality over someone, or that we can't really KNOW anything. My way of looking at the world does open up the possibility for problems, and disharmony - people can and will be wrong. But look at the world - there is disharmony. People do argue, and worse. I'm not saying it's right for the world to be like this, I'm not saying we can't all agree (assuming we all agree on the truth), but I AM saying that we can't all be right. Even if we're all wrong, even if we all miss the mark, we can't be so disparate AND all be correct. It doesn't work like that.

It seems to me that many people respect my way of thinking, but few of them agree with me. I suppose that's just their position, after all, isn't it?

---------------------------------

On A Closing Note....
I fear more and more that I'm alienating my friends, which is the last thing I wanted. Nothing has changed, I am the same as are you, but my thoughts have been spread on the table. I question the wisdom of that act with each successive post. Honesty or no, I do not wish to lose my friends, even those just recently made. I pray that my journal does not completely die, due to intellectual paralysis or apathy.

Comments

Now, I don't wanna get off on a rant here, but...

[surichan.livejournal.com]

It may not be exactly that people don't believe there is a right and a wrong that is concrete, but more that they may feel the way I do on this matter. I am not God. I know that I believe certain things to be right and wrong, but the thing is, I don't know for certain if everything I believe is right is truly right, and if everything I believe is wrong is truly wrong. Therefore, I cannot judge people past a certain point without opening myself up to intense judgement. I don't want to get to Heaven one day and have God look down at me and say, "You expected people to listen to your beliefs and tolerate what you thought of as right, but you refused to tolerate them; to listen to them? I should judge you the same way." And I don't want that to happen. My religion, my beliefs in general, the way I live my life; these things are intensely important to me. I know the same things have to be important to everyone else as well. Who am I to tell them, as only God can, what it is they should or should not be doing? I am only human as well. Sinful. Weak. My only hope is to love as much as I can and try to live *my* life according to what *I* feel is right.

Now, of course, there ARE certain things that go too far; that I do stand up for. I don't believe in the worship of evil, I don't believe in violence and hatred and intolerance, I don't believe in the death of the innocent. These and others are the things I will stand up against. And maybe it seems that, in all other things, I am being immoral and letting people go about doing whatever they please...but the Jesus I believe in taught love of God and your fellow man first and foremost, and there is no love in tearing down another person's beliefs; there is only destruction. Beliefs, after all, are the only crutch some people have to stand on. And it is incredibly hard to legislate what is and isn't moral, unless, of course, you are God Himself.

Yes.

[starlight1184.livejournal.com]

Because I have already had this conversation with you Andrew, and we both know where the other stands, and because I am in one crappy mood and will say something not-good if I try to get into debate mode... that would be bad. But I agree most defiantely with what Leslie said. So let her comment stand for mine. We've already talked, and you know where I stand.

In response to previous comments...

[serenabuny.livejournal.com]

You know Mel and Leslie, that's what I've been trying to explain to people for years ^_^. What both of you said are some of my core beliefs. Thanks for putting into words what I could not ^_^...

Ah yes, I meant to add...

[serenabuny.livejournal.com]

I love to hear people's thoughts and opinions so never feel as though you alienating me or even others. If a person is unable to accept that others have opinions different than theirs and they dislike them because of it they are immature individuals. To be a truly compassionate and understanding person you must first respect others' beliefs and opinions even if you do not agree. And that's all I have to say about that besides that with every entry you post I understand you more and find in that more reason to love you ^_^... Never stop expressing yourself...

::hides behind a giant rat named Dexter::

[daisysweet.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I deleted my comments, Andrew. I went and read what Leslie had said and somehow, my post was all jumbled and not making much sense. That's the only reason I took them off.

Then Dexter said, "..."

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Don't DO that. I like hearing from you. You make quite a bit of sense when you speak, and you had as good a post as Leslie's, and you weren't even dealing with the same subject matter (not really) so your posts really added something to it.

Just my 2 measly cents...

[raefukumaden.livejournal.com]

I agree with Leslie, she pretty much gone ahead and wrote what was stewing in my head. And she wrote it much better than I could, I'm not good at the whole writing insightful comments thing. Anywho, the thing agree w/ most is; if you yourself are not God who are you in the grand scheme of things to decide what is right and what is wrong. How do you know that you yourself are not terribly wrong on something? I don't know if I am or not, which is one reason I don't attempt to "force" my ideals, opinions, beliefs, so-on and so-forth upon other people. I have conflicted opinions on many issues, which I shall not get into because many people take forceful stands on these issues and I am the biggest non-confrontationalist on the face of the planet, but anyway as I was saying, the reason I have conflicted opinions is that one side has some of the ideals I try to live by, but by the same token so does the other side. Therefore I cannot decide which "side" I take. But I digress...
(I think this is the longest comment I've written...)