"I lost a lot of weight, so let me reduce your confidence in your body so that you want to lose weight too."
"I'm a Democrat, so anyone who isn't must be a moron."
"My life was changed by my belief in Jesus, so you have to be Christian. Otherwise, you'll go to hell."
"I don't feel sexual attraction to those of the same gender, so homosexuality must be an abomination."
"My childhood was spent in a small town, so cities are dirty, corrupt places."
"I've never been assaulted, so anyone who has been must have been asking for it."
Why can't we just let people be who they are? The most minuscule differences can create rifts between people. Scientifically, we are more similar than dissimilar. We generally have the same number of bones, chromosomes, and vital organs. Our hearts beat at similar rates, our bodies utilize the same metabolic processes, our nerves transmit sensory data in the same manner. We might see the world from different angles, but we live among the same mountains, plains, lakes, and deserts. We each take a different number of breaths, but we all breathe the same air.
If you are acting in a kind, generous manner, I will care about you. I might not agree with you on all issues and I might not affirm all of your behaviors, but I will offer you kindness and generosity. Our differences should not connote rejection or hatred. We all have something to bring to the table; we all have something to learn from every other person we see.
