“Whenever one is exposed to that which goes against a certain belief they hold and it triggers an emotional reaction, they ought to take it as an opportunity to re-examine the belief — preferably along with their entire reality tunnel. Over time people get comfortable with their own convictions, they may become dogmatic in their views and opinions. Anything coming from outside the norm then tends to be feared, judged, rejected, vilified. That is, because it challenges the way they had been leading their lives.

Say if something someone said made you angry, dig deep within your inner being and investigate the reason for your anger. Ask yourself why you are taking it personally. Oftentimes, you see, the impulsive reaction has subconscious roots coming from the part of you that knows that you have no legit reason to think or feel as such.

Other times, it is the awareness of the existence of some degree of truth in what you had seen, heard, or read that irks you. It was Rumi who said: “If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”

Seeing through our own convictions with impartial eyes allows us to see them under a different and often deeper light, possibly transcending them. You deal with one matter at a time and you do so by observing the thoughts and emotions without ever forgetting you are not them. For like the ocean waves, they are temporary, ephemeral, transient while you remain the generator as well as observer.

It matters not if you fully agree with the different view at the end. Neither is there any need to identify, believe, judge, condemn, or to follow it into oblivion. But do take the chance to look into yourself. For you will likely end up learning something from the experience — including some self-knowledge. The challenge would either strengthen your argument(s) or offer you a different perspective(s). Perhaps a bit of both if one is lucky.

A confident person does not feel threatened when coming across an opposing view or opinion. Not only do they cause no harm, but the exposure may actually have some benefits.”