Beliefs, Conflicts and Personal Opinions

Humans are far from my favorite creatures in the world. They're not as cuddly as sloths, nor as hardworking as ants and are definitely a lot less badass than honey badgers. They're often confusing, completely contradictory and have a really awful habit of ruining the things they enjoy. In fact, most of the time, I really do not like being around other people because it's just so damn stressful. We're just too unpredictable. For instance, if I try to make conversation with someone working behind a counter, there's a high chance that they'll be polite and friendly back. However, there's an equally high chance that my charming smile could send them in a gibbering rage and they'll leap over the cash register and throttle me to death with a string of sausages.

Pictured: Exhibit A, the delicious murder weapon.

Okay. Maybe that's a bit drastic. It's more likely that they'll be tired and grumpy from working in one of the shittiest areas of employment ever, so they may just not be very receptive to my friendliness and good cheer. But the point is... people, for whatever reason, can really fucking suck. And most of the time, it's not on an individual scale. No, the reason why a lot of people suck can be traced back to how our beliefs have been shaped by the society around us. Belief is a very dangerous thing. Unfortunately, I'd say most atrocious acts are usually perpetrated by one person who is totally convinced that their beliefs are right.

Like these three crazy characters.  

When you think about it, what conflict doesn't stem from a question of personal opinion? To use an example close to my heart, let's talk feminism (okay, I can hear you groaning already. Just here me out, please. I'm not about go on a rant about how all men are rapists, or how the vagina is the centre of all creative expression. In fact, if your ideas of feminism are strictly confined to a stereotype of man-hating, genital-worshipping she-harpies, I'm going to maybe suggest you expand your horizons, because that is a very limited view). Personally, I really appreciate feminism for what it is and originally was, a major step forward for gender equality. Without the feminist movement, there would have been no way in hell that I would be attending uni right now. I wouldn't have the right to vote, the right to appear in public without a chaperon or pretty much any basic right to independence that males have been enjoying for centuries. Honestly, without feminism, there's a high likelihood I would have been married off to some older man at age fourteen and spent the rest of my miserable existence giving birth on the floor of my kitchen with a wooden spoon between my teeth so I wouldn't disturb the men talking.

And these things are not pleasant to bite down on, especially unwashed.

However, most people in this day and age not only see feminism as something dated and unnecessary, but also as something fundamentally evil. Don't get me wrong, I completely realise that there are feminist out there who are completely and utterly bonkers. These are the ones that blame men for all world problems and who accuse people of being rapists simply because of their gender. These are the ones that make other women feel like shit for wanting to wear make-up, or bake, or do anything traditionally considered feminine because DAMN IT MY FEMALE COMPATRIOTS  YOU ARE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE OPPRESSIVE PATRIARCHY. 

But here's what really gets me down, that these few insane radicals have completely overshadowed decades of positive change! Although I'm going to argue that there's still areas of gender equality that really need to addressed, Western women do have a lot better quality of existence in the modern age. There are so many things we can do now that would have been unheard of only decades earlier, and it's a pretty beautiful thing. I see things like high-profile female columnists and celebrities claiming that they aren't feminist like it's a huge positive, and end up thinking to myself: "Well, that's funny. If it wasn't for feminism, Miss Katy Perry, there's no way you'd be making millions of dollars singing about bicurious experimentation and denim short shorts". Honestly, I don't know when it became cool to be anti-feminist, but I don't like that so many young women are taking their freedom for granted. For a quick comparison, look at the Civil Rights Movement. They had radical organisations such as the Black Panther Party who were all for violently rising up against white people, but not many people walk around saying "oh jeez, the Civil Rights movement was pretty shit, they're all just terrorists that want to kill off all the white people".

I feel like I'm getting too self righteous, so I'm inserting this
 cute gif of a pug to help me to calm down a bit. 

Anyway, excusing the huge tangent I just went on, I have conflicted with a lot of people on issues of feminism and gender equality. I once had a huge argument with someone older than me because we disagreed on whether feminism purely meant equality for women or between the genders (he was a staunch men's rights activist, which I think has its place because there is a lot of sexism geared towards men now, but I wouldn't say that white middle-class males are ever going to experience the same level of oppression as minority groups). Probably none of this conflict would have ever occurred if not for my urge to share my beliefs. In fact, I'm willing to bet that someone will probably take issues with what I've just said, and that's perfectly fine. I don't expect anyone to agree with me and I don't write this to sway people's opinions. Honestly, I just like the sound of my own typing.

Clickity-clack-clack-clack-clickity-clack.

Seriously, if you just take a look around you, every person on the planet is in a constant struggle over whose beliefs are the right ones. Your Mum believes its your turn to do the dishes when you think that rightfully, your brother should do it because he's the one who made the most mess? Conflict. Your professor judges your essay to be mediocre when you know you put your heart and soul into what you were writing? Conflict. Atheists and religious people both believe the other is stupid/wrong/ignorant? Conflict. The Turkish government believe that they should have the power to regulate the freedom of their people to an authoritarian extent? Conflict. It goes on and on and on. Argument upon argument. Needless hate. Bloodshed over the most commonplace, straightforward things, all because someone has to get high and mighty and prove their opinion is the best one. It makes me feel a little sick.

Maybe it's the hippy within me talking (I did just buy a hemp rainbow scarf, so I've definitely got some groovy vibes going on today), but I wish everyone could just take a deep breath, relax and realise that being right is usually subjective anyway. There are certain facts in the world that can be proven which are true. However, at the end of the day, waving these truths in the faces of others isn't going to change their minds. They are human, just like you, and being a conscious, sentient human means that they have a right to think however they want, even if their ideas may be considered completely morally reprehensible. Only when people start acting on these beliefs in a way that hurts their fellow people can we really justify intervening. Otherwise, it's best to just let people think in the way they desire and move on.

I have a fair few beliefs that I know people find controversial, most of which I probably can't even discuss in this blog because there's a likely chance at least one of my parents reads this. However, I've learnt to keep them to myself unless asked, because really, there's nothing that makes me more entitled to being right than anyone else. Besides, our beliefs do change with age. You may spend a decade being completely anti-drugs, and then smoke some pot one day and decide it isn't as harmful as you thought. You may spend years being fair and tolerant towards your fellow man, and then some drunk teenager kills your daughter in an accident and you never trust anyone ever again. The point is, beliefs are a fluid thing, and everyone has their reasons for thinking a certain way. But it shouldn't be a source of conflict.

We should just accept that the very nature of being human is the ability to have these beliefs in the first place... and then use that acceptance to make the world into a bigger and brighter place.