Opinions are like Genitalia

This has been bugging me for a while, and seeing as it recently came up in conversation with a friend of mine, I'd like to actually post about it.

Here's your casual reminder that political and social ideologies do not determine whether or not someone is open-/close-minded. And I believe that, as long as their beliefs aren't directly harmful to another human being, it also does not determine whether or not they're a good person.

To clarify: Socially/politically liberal people can be close-minded. I've met plenty of people who fit this, and they are not fun to be around. They tend to be under the illusion that because they are "liberal," it gives them the right to be jerks to anyone who disagrees in the slightest. Likewise, socially/politically conservative people can be open-minded. I've met a ton of conservative people who are willing to "hear the other side" and discuss their opinions openly.

The key is to not be a jerk about your opinions, or how others' opinions might differ from your own.

I like to surround myself with people of different beliefs. It makes life more interesting. I mean, yes, sometimes it's easier to talk with people who have similar opinions, but if I ONLY talked to like-minded people, how could I grow? How could anyone?

And I do mean talk, not argue or degrade. I'm referring to when you sit and listen to someone else, and discuss your views like calm, mature adults. Throwing a fit (figuratively and literally) every time you disagree on something is annoying, and no matter what your opinion is, doing so takes away some of the validity of your argument. Not every opinion needs to be a hill to die on.

I'm aware that this might come across as hypocritical. I know I can get carried away on certain topics, and that I can hold a firm stance. I'm working on calming that down. If it's not to late to tack on an additional New Year's resolution, I'd like to add this to the list.

"Opinions are like genitalia: everyone has them. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to shove them in everyone else's face all the time."