Written by T.K. Coleman.
“When left to my own devices, I feel neutral or antagonistic towards X. However, I’m going to willfully transform myself into the kind of person who actively supports X for no other reason than that some people are silly in the way they express their hatred of X.”
“When left to my own devices, I feel passionate about X. However, I’m going to willfully transform myself into the kind of person who actively fights against X for no other reason than that some people are silly in the way they express their passion for X.”
If this is the logic you use for determining your direction in life, you might want to think twice.
Why?
Because there’s nothing you could possibly believe or support that’s ever going to be entirely free from some kind of association with people who express their convictions in a way that seems silly or shameful to you.
If passions and causes were sports teams, everyone would have at least one embarrassing player on their team. And although you may see yourself as not belonging to any particular ideological team, you will almost certainly be lumped into the same category with some very unlikeable people merely because they share certain sentiments in common with you.
Are you really willing to betray your interests, tastes, and ideas just because of those people? Is your sense of ambition so small, your sense of inspiration so weak that it’s only worth following when your convictions are solely shared by individuals who receive your stamp of approval?
There’s a wide and wonderful world of possibility waiting for you out there. There’s also a bunch of “idiots” who enjoy exploring those same possibilities.
What’s more important: getting the most out of your experiences or never being seen standing next to an “idiot” who roots for the same things as you?
Life is filled with many good things. Don’t abandon those things just because your enemies and opponents like them too.
