Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks said “It’s the people not like us that make us grow.” At first, this seems to be a very uncomfortable statement. All our lives we’re in a constant quest to find people very similar to us. But, why do we always find ourselves sticking up to people so much like us? Simple answer - We spend our entire lives looking for people who are just like us in order to feel we belong or maybe it's just more enjoyable to spend time with someone who shares our interests.
The truth is that sticking up with people just like you is no different than being addicted to junk food. Just like indulging in junk food gives you a sense of comfort, hanging out with people similar to you gives your opinions validations. Their sugar-filled opinions is just like hearing your own beliefs retold to you. You probably don't need any more people in your life who are exactly like you, who reinforce your idealised vision of how life should be.
When you spend time with people like you, you won’t learn anything new. To grow, you must completely disrupt your thinking. You got to burst that bubble in which you’ve been living all your life to discover immense new opportunities that help you grow. You got to meet people who aren’t guilty to spit in the face of your beliefs. Because, when you look for people who hate your view of the world is when you’ll find someone who has a bigger idea than your own. That’s when you actually grow physically, mentally, and emotionally.
It takes courage to accept ideas and perspectives that differ from your own and even more courage to accept and admit that you were wrong in public. It’s when we dare to challenge our own beliefs, we prosper, the society prospers.
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