Do I need a title?

My father use to have this saying.. or thing he would say when ever I approached him worked up. Good or bad he would usually say "Put some words of wisdom in my ear". Some times it made me laugh, other times it just pissed me off. I never took the words to heart until long after he died. Now that I'm older and maybe a little wiser, I think about this a lot.

Years ago I didn't really think about anything but what I wanted, thought I needed, and how to get it. I was angry, selfish, spoiled, and cold. I didn't warm up much.. but I did learn some things.

One of those things is that I think way too much. I think about everything all the time. My brain is so busy with the hows and whys of life that I tend to be constantly giving a speech on one thing or another. I'm often ignored or worse, not. People get offended or angry or become totally indifferent.

Apparently to start a sentence with the precursor of "I mean no offense" or "This is just out I see things" does not lessen the blow or the accusation that I am being condescending.  I'll admit, sometimes I am intentionally being such but for the most part I am giving an opinion. One that I believe holds value not only because it's mine but because I have spent a very long time forming it. I weight sides, consider perception of as many sides as I can conceive, and try to understand the motivation and reasoning behind all arguments. I do this because I believe, with everything I am that is where you find truth. Not in one side or the other but somewhere inbetween. One's perception rarely reflects truth. (I'm sure at some point I'll get on perception.)

This helps me try to figure out where people are coming from and what I believe to be the right idea from it. That is how I form my opinions on everything from my kids to my political views. Not because someone told me it something was right or because there is reward or punishment or because it works out so that it fits with my current behavior but because of the basic human, animal, or right of life. It's not easy. I often find I end up understanding where the other side is coming from and how they came to their opinion but i also understand why I am the way I am better as well. Also, it is not a great tool for social interaction. People do not want real opinions or to look at life from the other guys perspective they want to think what they want and feel what they want without caring why. If you point out that although their feelings are valid, (because our perspective is often how we define truth, a fallacy but truth is relative to the observer.) one must considered intention, (bricks and motar of hell? bla bla whatever .. it matters) context, and our own personal experiences that might contribute to how we react to things. A lot of work right? Well if we want to learn to be better people than we have been in the past, it takes work. 

I feel so many people spew the 'opinions' given to the my society, religion, or to support and justify their behavior. They alter their beliefs to fit their lifestyle. People fall into mob mentality and clan behavior and have no awareness that they never even considered the other side. All throughout our history we have sat on the sidelines and watched this take place. War time atrocities, witch trials, persecution, racism, segregation, extermination, hate crimes, etc. We know it's wrong. Even if we don't believe what others do is good for them or the world.. we know that it is not right on any level to harm the way we do. The tribes we belong to, our clans, our mobs, often dictate our thoughts. Everything in society trains us to allow it. First our parents, schools, churches, government, work, peer groups, etc. Most never realize they have never formed an opinion on their own.

While I am not sure that I believe that now, at this place in my life, that I am what I consider wise, I do think I am on the path of being so. With this being my way, how I see the world and form opinions, maybe my Dad wasn't too far off.

****NOTE

I'm not a writer, as you might have noticed. I suck at grammar, punctuation, spelling, paper structure etc.  I type like I talk.. I.. or I , when I would pause in speaking.. so if you have issue, please feel free to not read anything I write. It really just isn't that important to me. :)