Challenge: Do Something New/Uncomfortable

I just finished reading through a message board post from a few days ago regarding 'hot takes' in music. I was viscerally saddened as I read many of the responses. A surprising amount of people spoke with vitriol and bias entirely unreasonable for a website that values objective truth and collaboration. Middle-aged adults fought with high-school kids about racism and musical opinions, slinging ad hominem attacks and insults.

I have a degree in music and spend the majority of each day playing or listening to music in its many different forms. Regrettably, I used to agree with many of the opinions put forth in that post. But, I can attest to the beautiful freedom you can have when you allow yourself to step outside your presuppositions and perceptions and admire art and life objectively. There IS musicality in rap, pop, bluegrass, country (old and new), house music, EDM, etc. You would be remiss to write off the artistic expressions of others based on your personal tastes. Put yourself in other's shoes - if you grew up in Compton, would you not appreciate west coast rap? If you grew up in West Virginia, would you not appreciate country music's values?

The closed-minded immaturity shown on that post is entirely disappointing and out of place on a website like this.

I view it as a blessing to be able to experience and appreciate the wide variety of human life and expression. I think we would all benefit from putting ourselves in situations where we are forced to understand other people - their aversions and desires - and in turn appreciate and value them greater.

So I wanted to challenge anybody reading this to force themselves to step outside of their comfort zone and typical schedule this week. Find somebody who you clash with or find annoying/odd at school or work and make yourself talk to them long enough to understand and value them. Find a religious, political, or artistic topic that doesn't sit right with you - an opinion that causes anger when you encounter it - then read about it long enough to understand why its proponents disagree with you. Find a chore, job, or hobby to foray into that will teach you to appreciate the vastness of human talent more.

In doing so, I hope we can all be more grateful for the people around us and that there are so many wonderful people who are willing serve, create, and work in ways we either can't or won't. It is a privilege that is UNIQUELY human to love those that disoblige us. Don't squander the mind and will that you have.