Times Of Swaziland: WHERE IS OUR HEADSPACE?

WHERE IS OUR HEADSPACE?
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Editor on 23/08/2022 08:54:00


Sir,
For a long time now we have been dilly-dallying around this topic because of
reasons I may not be aware of, but it has been eating at me like a cancer
lately. Our thought processes as humans are particularly different; of course
there is a point where we meet due to conformity but we all have our own
particular way of thinking. Now the issue becomes when we think our thought
processes far outweigh the next person’s way of thinking; this is where the
problem lies. In a perfect democratic State, people are considered as equals and
in being equals their submissions are regarded as valid and taken into
consideration. However, the final resolution is always based on majority rule.
Opinion
It is therefore, continuously perplexing when each subject from either side
regards their opinion as the superior one without any majority vote. This is an
impending issue for me, because individuals have become confident in criticising
each other all in the name of assuming their criticism is a majority view.
Information
This is not evident only in politics, but the workplace, family and general
every day life. We seem to think highly of our stance on things because we tend
to assume that is what everyone else is thinking, without actually getting
accurate information on whether each person actually agrees with us.
Unfortunately, this is how we end up having enemies, because in our assumptions
we undermine other people’s views because we take our opinions as being the
mainstream view. Of course it is far more difficult to train the mind to think
that what one may know about a topic may not be the only side to look at.
Unity
However, if in the near future we want to restore unity and peace in this
country, we need to start appreciating what we each have to bring to the table.
It is paramount that we understand that our thoughts about issues are subject to
criticism and subject to change. We cannot take what we have to say as the only
truth and what other people have to say as lies. Our mindset needs to expand
going forward. The thinking should be broad and we should not linear our
thinking.
Although the national dialogue is a very necessary component to ensure we reach
a general resolution, it will be counterproductive for people to attend the
dialogue or follow whatever instructions given through dialogue if we are all
still very narrow-minded. As things are playing out, it is clear as day that
none of the parties who ought to be present during the dialogue are actually
ready. The outcome will not bring any harmony but instead might lead us to a
slippery slope. I am in no way discouraging dialogue, in fact, I am all for it.
However, where is our head space as people who are willing to dialogue, are we
receptive to different ideologies? Are we in any way tolerant of different
views? Do we respect each other?
Harmony
These are the questions we need to be asking ourselves as we all prepare for
what ought to restore harmony, maybe not peace, because peace was always a
figment of our imagination. Our thinking needs to start changing this very
moment, and filters need to be opened in order for each and every one of us to
be able to sift information as we receive it.