Many people who struggle to accept people the way they are, whether that is down to their religious beliefs, expression of gender, or any other medium of self-expression, justify their views with the excuse, “I don’t understand why someone would want this so, why should I accept it”. As a result, I wanted to explain why you don’t need to understand something to accept it.
I’m sure you’re aware that the area of a circle is πr2 and accepted this to be true. However, unless you are a keen mathematician, it is likely you do not understand how this is derived. Similarly, we can relate this to people. We might not understand how other people’s minds work and why they think and feel certain ways, but do we need to know why to accept their expression? No.
By no means is it bad to be curious and ask questions about things we might not know or understand, and a change of opinion should be normalised and welcomed with open arms. However, we must remember that even if we might not understand the reasoning behind how people perceive themselves or the world around us, we need to realise that we don’t need to understand to accept them and spread love and positivity.
Writer: Harvey Tilley
Artwork: Zara Masood
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