Lately, I feel that I am experiencing more and more incidences of people being less and less tolerant of others' opinions. There have been several instances when I have stated an opinion, only to be immediately shot down and told that I am flat-out wrong. This has even happened when I'm sharing my opinion with close friends.

Just because someone has an opinion that differs from your own, I do not think that gives you the right to tell them that they are wrong. There is a stark difference between being wrong and just having a different point of view. The latter is totally acceptable and okay.

I think this applies in many situations that occur daily, or even multiple times a day, in one’s life. It is prominent in more serious situations, such as political parties and religious beliefs. But these are not the only situations it occurs in. I have been told that I am wrong because of my personal opinions on things as trivial as movies and foods.

It is entirely normal and often encouraged to have your own beliefs in every aspect of your life, even if it is as simple as having a preference toward a certain movie or television show. But when people say your opinion is wrong, it discourages you from having these opinions. Being told you are wrong is demeaning, and will make you no longer want to openly share your opinions with others.

People sharing their opinion is a huge part of our culture, and I think it is a positive thing to do. If we did not share our opinions and perspectives, we would not have any novels, TedTalks, social media, or elections. Nothing in our society would be the same.

So how should we cope with others having different opinions than us, without telling them that they are incorrect and invalid? There are much kinder ways to deal with someone’s differing opinion besides criticizing them. You could simply not respond, you could state your opinion without demeaning theirs, or you could ask what led them to have this opinion.

When we are quick to shut down others, we are practicing bad habits that can lead to negative qualities. Without listening to people’s beliefs and thoughts, we are becoming poor listeners and creating self-centeredness. No one wants to identify with these negative qualities, so we must listen to others and tolerate their thoughts, no matter if they are the same as ours or not.

One might think that the rule of not telling people they are wrong when they are different would be something you learn from a young age. I do not know if it ever was, or if it was forgotten over time. No matter your age, we should learn to not only accept, but to also tolerate the views of others and grow from being around different perspectives and opinions.