Saturday, October 14, 2017
When I Was A Fool...
By: Donovan Baldwin
A few years ago, there was a time in my life when it seemed that everything I did, everything I thought, was "wrong".
People told me, and life demonstrated, it seemed, that I was a fool.
I wanted to argue my case, "prove" that I was right. Even more I wanted "them" to know that they were wrong.
Finally, I hit on the ultimate solution: I was going to outlive everybody! That way the time would come when I could laugh at them because they were dead, I was alive, and I was "right" by default.
Over time I came to realize a couple of problems with that plan.
First, being alive didn't make me right, and, them being dead sort of took all the fun out of being right...if I WAS right.
See, that was the problem.
Ninety-nine percent of the "rights" and "wrongs" in the equation were "beliefs" and "opinions"...not facts.
It was then I began to see the real solution. Proving that my "right" was the "right" right was impossible. In fact, I could even be wrong!
That wasn't right!
Then I figured out the real solution.
I can only live and enjoy life doing what I BELIEVE is right. It doesn't really matter what others think or say about my honest beliefs.
So, they can be right, I can be right, even though one of us may be wrong.
As long as I do what I think is right, I don't need to worry about what they think is right.
Right?
People told me, and life demonstrated, it seemed, that I was a fool.
I wanted to argue my case, "prove" that I was right. Even more I wanted "them" to know that they were wrong.
Finally, I hit on the ultimate solution: I was going to outlive everybody! That way the time would come when I could laugh at them because they were dead, I was alive, and I was "right" by default.
Over time I came to realize a couple of problems with that plan.
First, being alive didn't make me right, and, them being dead sort of took all the fun out of being right...if I WAS right.
See, that was the problem.
Ninety-nine percent of the "rights" and "wrongs" in the equation were "beliefs" and "opinions"...not facts.
It was then I began to see the real solution. Proving that my "right" was the "right" right was impossible. In fact, I could even be wrong!
That wasn't right!
Then I figured out the real solution.
I can only live and enjoy life doing what I BELIEVE is right. It doesn't really matter what others think or say about my honest beliefs.
So, they can be right, I can be right, even though one of us may be wrong.
As long as I do what I think is right, I don't need to worry about what they think is right.
Right?
Labels: beliefs, donovan baldwin, how to live, life lesson, live your own life, opinions, right, right and wrong, wrong
Opinions Are Like...
By: Donovan Baldwin
Some of my recent posts, and, some of my older ones, have occasionally stirred up hornet's nests of controversy.
Unintended on my part, but, bound to happen upon occasion.
When I write, I seldom really write about "facts", factual things which can be proven. I write about my thoughts, which are usually within the realm of opinions, and, as they say, "Opinions are like (fill in the blank). Everybody's got one."
I try not to claim that MY opinions are "right", or the only possible opinions...just my opinions, beliefs, thoughts.
Of course, not everyone else is going to see things exactly as I see them. In fact, their point of view may be diametrically opposed to mine.
I used to get really upset when some of this opposition surfaced. It bothered me, and, I tried to find arguments and excuses.
But, over time, I came to realize that the commentator with the opposite view had just as much right to his or her "opinion" or "belief" as I did, and, I was just getting miffed because I wanted to be right, and, like most humans, wanted everybody to agree with me.
Well, the fact is that there are many times in our lives that "most humans" won't...agree with us, that is.
That's human. So's being upset by their open disagreement, and/or inability to see facts...or opinions and beliefs.
So, I'm over it...until the next time, of course, and, that's my opinion on that.
Unintended on my part, but, bound to happen upon occasion.
When I write, I seldom really write about "facts", factual things which can be proven. I write about my thoughts, which are usually within the realm of opinions, and, as they say, "Opinions are like (fill in the blank). Everybody's got one."
I try not to claim that MY opinions are "right", or the only possible opinions...just my opinions, beliefs, thoughts.
Of course, not everyone else is going to see things exactly as I see them. In fact, their point of view may be diametrically opposed to mine.
I used to get really upset when some of this opposition surfaced. It bothered me, and, I tried to find arguments and excuses.
But, over time, I came to realize that the commentator with the opposite view had just as much right to his or her "opinion" or "belief" as I did, and, I was just getting miffed because I wanted to be right, and, like most humans, wanted everybody to agree with me.
Well, the fact is that there are many times in our lives that "most humans" won't...agree with us, that is.
That's human. So's being upset by their open disagreement, and/or inability to see facts...or opinions and beliefs.
So, I'm over it...until the next time, of course, and, that's my opinion on that.
Labels: beliefs, donovan baldwin, opinions, writing
