Hey, you. Yeah, you.
There's something important that you should know about me.
I'm wrong.
I have no idea exactly what I'm wrong about, but have no doubt, I'm wrong about something. I am a human being, with imperfections and a limited view of the world. Yet, to survive in the world, I have to form opinions about what I see and do, and then act on them. And, because of that, something I believe to be right is, in fact, wrong.
I don't like thinking about that. I like being right. And in some cases, I don't know which of my beliefs is right and which is wrong.
So, I have two choices. The first is to huddle around other people who are like-minded, to not have my beliefs challenged, and to learn how to strengthen what I already believe. The second is to expose myself to contrasting beliefs, and to learn about everything around me, whether or not it conforms to what I know to be true.
If I only do the first, I'll become ignorant and stubborn. If I only do the second, I'll have no foundation to base my life, and become unstable.
And so, I must do both. I must be who I am, and live as I believe I should live, but I also must pay attention to what's around me and consider the differing views that cross my path, because that is how I'll grow as a person.
You know who else is wrong? The ten-years-ago version of myself. That guy had a lot of things wrong. I'm glad I'm not him.