Olivia Sze found that opening her ears and mind allowed her to bridge differences.
Growing up in the Bay Area surrounded by family, teachers, and friends who often shared similar liberal and progressive opinions, values, and outlooks, I inevitably adopted those same beliefs. Surrounded by this echo-chamber, I became certain that my beliefs were the right ones. By the time I entered high school, I had a difficult time understanding any rational reasoning supporting views different from mine, and I thought of all conservatives as mostly uneducated, bigoted, or crazy.
Then I met Ev, a 70-year old evangelical Christian from Iowa who was cheerful, adventurous, but happened to have very conservative views. We mostly talked about our shared love of running, but when the conversation did turn to politics, it was exactly that. A conversation, not arguments, nor debates, but rather an exchange of views to better understand each other. By listening, I realized how Ev’s lived life had influenced his own worldviews, and I gained empathy to a different point of view. Listening to Ev’s experiences shifted my perspective on issues that I previously saw as completely black and white, like climate change, abortion, and gun control. With increasing strife across the nation, I had previously struggled to understand how half the country could hold such drastically different beliefs. Now looking inward, I’ve questioned how I have been uneducated in the types of media I consumed? Who am I prejudiced against?
I’ve realized that I will never be completely free of biases. But I’ve also realized that with intentional choices—keeping an open mind, really listening to people with different views, reading widely, and embracing uncomfortable conversations—we can connect across our political differences and better identify our own biases. Listening to others first has expanded, challenged, and deepened my thinking, and I’ve come to understand how important it is to bridge the polarization in this country.
With a Perspective, I’m Olivia Sze.