Subjectively speaking, we can categorize ideas into three categories:
- Ideas we agree
- Ideas we disagree with but we respect
- Ideas we disagree with and we don’t respect
Where did I find these categories? I thought of an analogy that led me toward these categories. Let’s say there is a land where many tribes live close to each other, if you live in one of those tribes and look at other tribes, each one will fall somewhere on a spectrum, on one side of the spectrum there are enemy tribes where you have a direct conflict with them, and on the other side there are tribes which are not much different than yours and you are on good terms with them.
This spectrum I think has three important parts, Allies, Enemies, and tribes in the middle, those tribes in the middle are the ones you respect but they are too different than your current ideas.
I think the correct mental process we should use to decide about an idea in this regard is asking questions.
Let’s say we hear an idea, at first we try not to make any decision, but then some questions will pop out of our mind and we try to find some answer to those questions.
If there are no satisfying answers to your questions, then you do not agree or even respect those ideas.
If there are good answers to your questions, then you respect the idea but you don’t necessarily agree with it, why? because there is a conflict between one of your older ideas, the ideas you previously agree with, which is a pretty good idea you don’t want to change your mind simply because there is a new idea, you need to think about the conflict and try to find more questions against this new idea and your previous idea. Depending on the importance of these ideas it may take some time so you can change your mind about one of them.
When you meet people who have ideas that you disagree with, you should ask them your questions, this is a thinking opportunity.
Becoming Immortal 