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One entity writer shares three things to believe in, despite the current state of the world.

Today, our country is more polarized than ever. Anything that one person says is interpreted by others as completely and utterly wrong and is torn apart.

Nobody can speak on anything of value without receiving immense criticism or offending someone. It is so easy to get caught up in talking over each other and failing to actually listen.

It is easy to forget where you stand or what you believe. In spite of all of this, in order to keep myself grounded I have decided to write down my own beliefs.

This spark of passion comes from a book I recently read called, “This I Believe”. It is a compilation of small essays, just one or two pages each, that asked people to write about their core beliefs and anecdotes that guide their daily life.

It was originally a campaign put together by NPR in the 1950’s. The idea was especially pertinent to the time, as the divided country was facing a potential atomic war, loss of spirituality and an increase in consumerism.

One entity writer shares three things to believe in, despite the current state of the world.

via NPR

“This I Believe” aimed “to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization,” said founder Edward R. Murrow.

People like Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman sent their essays in to be read over public radio to the American people. Patterns of what people believed in started to emerge, and whether it was because of their faith or experiences they had gone through, many people held the same core convictions.

After the success and impact of this project in the 1950’s, NPR revived their initiative in the early 2000’s and published a book full of 80 essays in 2007. The book is filled with the most notable essays by both the famous and the unknown.

And while I am only 20 years old, I have learned three important things to live by so far in my life. So here is my own, “This I Believe.”

One entity writer shares three things to believe in, despite the current state of the world.

I believe in listening to other people. So often I find that people only listen to respond instead of listening to understand. We live in a world where people refuse to understand each other.

Nobody wants to see the other side of the argument in fear that they just might realize they are wrong and that the other person was right. We are afraid of opening our minds to understand further and instead we only choose to voice what we currently believe. In our polarized society, we will never be able to meet in the middle if no one is willing to take a step towards the other.

Because of this unwillingness to change our perspective, we are losing our capability of empathy and compassion. Whether it’s because of social media or something else, we are too often surrounded by like-minded people. This keeps us boxed in when we are supposed to be reaching out.

One entity writer shares three things to believe in, despite the current state of the world.

I believe in equality. People are too willing to limit others, especially when it has no impact on themselves. How are we so inclined to reduce the rights of the people around us when we don’t gain anything from it?

Just because the LGBTQ community gains marital rights doesn’t mean traditional couples no longer have that right. I believe in raising everyone to a higher level, and not stepping on others to do so.

I believe that we are moving in the right direction. Even if it seems like for every two steps forward we take six steps backwards. In general, people are becoming more accepting, or willing to accept. The willingness to accept is the step before acceptance, and sometimes the only way to move forwards is with baby steps.

One entity writer shares three things to believe in, despite the current state of the world.

I believe that people are good. My dad’s relentless optimism has worn off on me, and despite the multitude of warnings that terrible things can happen at any given time, I still believe that they won’t. Maybe this is ignorant, but I choose to my live my life without believing that I am in constant mortal danger.

I choose to see the best in people despite the situation. This has definitely led me astray, but more times than not it has proven true. People are good, and I choose to see that and to believe it.

These are the things I believe.

Edited by Kayla Caldwell
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