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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Why do Differences in Opinions and Viewpoints Happen in People?

Have you ever thought of this?

Why is it that we always find some people against our ideas while a few others might be supporting those very same ideas?

Whether you thought about it or not, I have been thinking about this for quite some time.

Differences of opinions, ideas, viewpoints and attitudes create conflicts among people.

And conflicts help a few people to gain superiority over other people for some time.  But the superiority so gained does not last for a long duration!

Differences of opinions among people of advanced maturity levels would not cause personal enmities, but that is not the case with people of inferior mind capacities. People of inferior mind capacities are more likely to have inferiority complexes and higher egos that get instigated to violent fury when they are contradicted.

Thus, differences in ideas cause conflicts among people with immature minds.

Now the question is why do these differences in ideas or opinions take place among individuals?

That is because of the varying intellectual capacities of people to learn, understand and comprehend.

Due to various reasons, human beings are not borne with the same mind capacities.

Intellectual capacities of all people are different. 

Thus, the ability of people to learn and understand is different.

While some people can learn a language or  science too quickly, for some others it may take much more time. And for a few others, it may not be possible at all however hard they try. 

Modern psycho-analysts have devised a test to measure this ability which is known as the intelligence quotient (IQ) test. Since these psycho-analysts themselves are individuals with varying mind capacities, it may not be wise to think that the IQ test that we have today is something perfect.

Again, people get varying life exposures to learn many things in life and their life experiences and learning opportunities are different. Thus two individuals having more or less the same IQ levels living in two different conditions will develop their individual personalities with varying levels of understanding. Their individual learning, memories and understanding would further knit together to form their unique personality characterized by their own thoughts and interpretations.

Learning potentials and capacities of people for various kinds of skills are also different. Thus individuals are different with regard to their skills and talents. Some are good in literature and language, some are good in mathematics and physical sciences, some are good in life sciences, some are good in geography and history, some are good in creativity, some in logic and reasoning, etc. A good majority have only skills for physical labor and not much intellectual abilities for mental works!

In this kind of a situation, it is very difficult to predict what two individuals gain when they are receiving the same kind of inputs. Their responses to the same inputs also may not be the same as they process and perceive the inputs differently.

It is easier to make this explained to people who have learnt arithmetic and are reasonably good in additions and subtractions. So all individuals who have learnt arithmetic perfectly would agree that 2+2=4. There would not be any differences of opinion among them with regard to this. They would all agree to this as they all have perfectly understood this arithmetic. But even in this case, an individual who has not perfectly learnt this arithmetic can disagree with the others.

In real life, the situations are more complex than this arithmetic. Understanding levels are much more complex and varying among individuals.

Even some one reading this article may not agree with me, if his level of understanding is different than mine. For that matter, many in this world do not have the capacity to read this even!

Our world unfortunately has been developing unevenly for millions of years. And human beings are under varying levels of perfection and maturity. People who have attained higher levels of mind capacities are a big minority. Thus the majority of the people of this world are likely to disagree with the opinions and advises of the advanced minds of their kind. The immature people may not even realize the benefits that they might get by listening to the good and wise advises!

Such a situation could be observed in the smallest unit of the society, the family. It is quite likely that the head of the family, the senior male member of the family is relatively more experienced and wiser. Nevertheless, it is not necessary that other family members agree with the opinions of the wise senior always leading to much family conflicts and discords.

So, inferior minds with their higher egos would be always antagonistic to those few people who have attained higher levels of mind capacities and have thereby become mature and saner. Among themselves, the majority of people who are with lower perfection levels, would have much more reasons to be in disagreement with each other. 

Such differences create conflicts and coupled with their egos such conflicts lead to enmities. These animosities would be to such high degrees that they might even forget all other things in life and their only mission would sometimes become the desire to destroy those who do not agree to their view points! And then, some of them would actually go ahead, plan and implement their mission to destroy those who are opposing their ideas!

But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That causes others to retaliate because they too are imperfect ones!

Such conflicts among people cannot be wiped out and soothed easily. However, patient actions and strategies by some wiser people might sometimes help. Because, the wiser ones know the weaknesses of the immature people! It is the impatience that sometimes cause the wiser to become ineffective!

People with lower mind capacities are bound to have a larger proportion of animal traits within their minds. Such animal traits are greed, selfishness, fear, jealousy, anger, irrational behavior or responses, over indulgence in food, suspicion, impatience, godlessness, etc. And these animal traits create much dangerous and destructive situations when conflicts are initiated among them. They tend to culminate in mass suicidal events!

Such mass suicides that we call as wars or terrorist acts indirectly help to reduce the numbers of inferior people and develop some opportunities of better mind capacities in future generations.

But it is a great learning if one understand the root cause of all conflicts among humans. Conflicts are due to the differences of understanding among people ignited and flared up because of egoistic responses and counter responses.

Understanding among people could be enhanced to some extent by implementing properly designed training programs and by imparting proper education.

But training and education left in the hands of inferior trainers could do much damage than do any good. For training and education to be of good value, the trainers or the teachers have to be much experienced and possessing high knowledge, wisdom and maturity.

Incompetent teachers could do more damage than good. Hence, any progressive society would give much importance in the selection of the teachers of their educational institutions. That would ensure progressive mind development in the future generations of people.

Every individual has a different capacity to learn and understand. It is not possible for a person to learn some thing beyond his or her inherent brain capacity. Therefore, teaching and learning methods have to be designed wisely in accordance with the learning potential of the target groups. 

The present education system of the world is not essentially designed by wise people and is not for improving the mind potentials of the students. On the contrary, it is used for screening and classifying students in accordance with their mind potentials. This system, therefore, does not make improvements in the society with regard to its ability to settle down peacefully without conflicts. It only helps to enhance conflicts. 

I have come to this conclusion now. It is not possible to make this earth a better one by removing all conflicts and inequalities in the generation that we live. Because, our imperfections cannot be removed in one generation. That would require several generations.

How could you avoid conflicts when your wife, husband, children, parents, neighbors, colleagues, friends and the like are all different in their IQ levels and mind capacities to understand each other? With your differing understanding levels, you land into conflicts when you undertake verbal and non verbal interactions and communications! The more you talk, the more you become an enemy to others or others would appear as enemies to you!

Do you agree with me? 

Probably not. Because, your ideas and opinions would most likely different from mine as your mind capacities and experience levels are likely to be different.

But think of it any way. That is a humble request! Perhaps you would realize the truth some time later!

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