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My fingers slide across the iPod to turn it off. They push the radio button. And the voices that come out of the radio make me really mad.

This is a good thing. A very good thing. One of the best things.

A couple times of week I turn down the music (lately Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys and Sun Ra, in case you were wondering) and turn on the talk. It’s mostly conservative stuff, Rush Limbaugh talking about how he doesn’t mind The Big Oil Spill, Sean Hannity upset with The Big Bad President or Mark Levine complaining about the media, The New York Slime and other colorful turns of phrase.

I don’t agree with most of it. We don’t share the same point of view and I really don’t like their method of attack. All the more, this makes it important that I listen. That I set aside MY prejudices and thoughts and points of view. That I force myself to see where there coming from.

There is no truth, only point of view. People don’t have differing points of view because they are evil or bad. They have different points of view because that’s the point of view they think is the best. The most useful. It makes sense to them. I usually forget this while I’m yelling at the radio in response to something said.

Sometimes listening to these different ideas has opened up my mind in ways that listening to people I agree with never could. At times I have to drop my worldview and totally take on where they’re coming from. It hurts and it’s hard to let go of some ideas that I really love. But that’s sort of the point.

I’m often reminded that the stuff spinning around my head are just ideas. Not the truth. Just some stuff I thought in the past and continue to think.

After listening to this stuff with an open mind, you find your own ideas aren’t screwed in as tightly. They’re a little looser. This makes it easier for you to drop some ideas when they stop working.

Here are a few more reasons why you should listen to people who drive you nutty….

10 Reasons You Should Listen To People You Hate

10. You might learn something.

9. “They” usually think you’re as nutty as you think “they” are. Find out why.

8. The only way you grow and learn is by challenging the ideas you hold tight.

7. If there is an idea you really can’t stand, it’s better to figure out a way to understand rather than hate it. Nobody likes a hater.

6. People you disagree with are just doing the best they can with the information they have. Practice compassion.

5. Disagreeing with someone on one point doesn’t mean you’ll disagree with them about everything. You may be missing out on useful information.

4. It’s fun to explore different worldviews.

3. There’s nothing else on Talk Radio.

2. You stop taking your own ideas so seriously because you see how many “other” well supported ideas are out there and being talked about by educated people.

1. Your ideas might be WRONG! (The most important reason)

GRAMMAR TIP: The plural of “Point of View” is “Points of View.” Just so you know (I had to look it up).

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