Skip to main content

Taking a Trip on a Road Less Traveled

Group thinking can drive the way society work and communicate with one another. In my lifetime I have witnessed negative group thinking that has established bias and hateful ideas about different cultures, religions, and even regions. 

To avoid Groupthink, it is important to have a process in place for checking the fundamental assumptions behind important decisions, for validating the decision-making process, and for evaluating the risks involved. (http://communicationtheory.org/groupthink/)

We were not born to hate or to form malice against one another. 
For instance, if you had a roommate who expressed bias opinions on the Muslim faith and their culture that does not mean you have to reflect the same behavior. You may know more and understand more. With you being more aware of Muslim customs, it is beneficial to educate your roommate instead of allowing them to continue being wrong. When people are misinformed, it makes the suggestion of trust and unity sound foreign. 

Media can fuel group thinking because society depends on the media to inform the public.When a national or even international tragedy occurs, such as the Paris shootings or the Orlando nightclub massacre, the world is emotionally affected. Troy University students are currently in Louisiana helping complete strangers with the Baton Rouge flood efforts. That is what humanity is all about, to come together and build each other up!

We are all entitled to our own opinion, whether it is right or wrong. Instead of continually spatting hatred towards one another, just agree to disagree. Not every discussion or debate will end with you changing a person's ideals because you can't force everyone to change their minds.


Do not conform to negative behavior because it discredits what you support.  As First Lady, Michelle Obama, quoted, “When they go low, we go high.”

Practice discernment and be open to learning about a person's beliefs and customs before judging them. Being different is what makes each person unique. Individuality is one of the most valuable attributes a person can posses. There is absolutely nothing wrong with following "the road less traveled." 





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If I Had Only...

Life can be as fulfilling as you make it. When people begin focusing on what the next person has, they miss the true treasures in their lives. You will never be satisfied if you cannot appreciate how God has blessed you. I can remember a church sermon where my pastor discussed this topic and he explained it beautifully. Two families were brought to the front of the congregation, a family of three and a family of five. The family of five lived in a six-bedroom home and the family of three lived in a two bed, one bathroom home. He compared the two families' access to resources that provided for their own needs. The pastor then asked how the family of three could be envious of the other family for having more, when both families have exactly enough for their means? Jealousy is a part of everyone’s personality. Siblings can be envious of one another and be given the exact same things. Employees can be jealous of another employee because their work is always recognized. ...

Forgive Yourself

Life is challenging but we are not put here to live in struggle. Struggle is nothing more than life lessons. There is absolutely nothing wrong with failure, we can't always come on top. When a person makes a mistake, experience teaches us. Perfection does not exist in man. There is no good in holding disappointment within yourself because everyone messes up. We are accountable for our life choices and the actions that we take, however, we can not harbor our mistakes. Consequences can be harsh but with forgiveness we have a gateway to a fresh start. For example, it is hard to live up to certain people's expectations. I have disappointed quite a few people because of the choices that I made. Self-condemnation was one of the heaviest crosses that I grew up having to bare. I could not bring myself to asking for forgiveness, nor practicing how to forgive myself. I realized that withholding my mistakes, left me stagnant. I was stuck in denial and I made it more difficult ...

It's a Thin Line

It is hard to witness anyone, no matter if they are close to  you or a passing stranger swirling into a downward spiral.  The idea for some is like faint embers that still chokes at their memory.  I'm familiar with two types of helpers in the world. There are people in the world who helps to the point where they walk themselves into the shoes of the other person. This group of people are nurturers , their first reaction is to extend themselves in order to piece that broken individual back together. The second group helps with a long-handled spoon. These helpers are called directors .  A director will show you where you need to go to build yourself up. This group will give you all of the knowledge, resources, and experience that they have.  Both groups of people are obliging, no one’s heart is  any bigger than the other’s. Further, no one's method is better than the other is. They are both needed for certain situations. A difficult thing...