Many people are quick to express disagreements about issues, doctrines, and opinions. The fact is, many don’t understand enough to have the right to agree or disagree. But still, they’re quick to assert the personal right to do so.

When we disagree simply because we do not understand enough – yet foolishly think that we already do – it’s a sheer manifestation of folly and self-deceit.

Of course, this inevitably brings in the question of dialogue. The initial phase of dialogue always involves listening and a search to understand a position with which we’re unfamiliar. More than that, we need to give ourselves the mental and emotional space to come to terms with the reality that such contrasting positions actually do exist, and that these positions form the moral and religious convictions of our neighbours. For as long as we still find ourselves in a state of shock, space must be created for our personal acceptance (not necessarily agreement!) of our neighbours’ positions.

When we are calm and rational, and are conscientiously sure that we have tried our utter best to understand the inner workings of our neighbours’ convictions, then we can begin formulating our agreements and disagreements, providing reasons for our positions.

In the process, we will also inevitably discover that convictions are not cold beliefs; they don’t exist in a vacuum. The believer with a conviction is a person with a personality, feelings, and a mind. He is respectable and worthy of dignity inasmuch as we ourselves are, regardless of what his beliefs may be. He is a child of the universe, like we are. Like us, he too is a believer – we just believe in different things. Even the skeptic is a believer in something.

Seek first to understand before jumping to conclusions of agreement or otherwise. Jumping to conclusions is jumping the gun. The next time we catch ourselves being too quick to express agreement or disagreement, be even quicker to ask ourselves, “Do I truly agree/disagree, or am I just exhibiting ignorant folly in thinking that I already know?”