I saw a status in my Facebook feed this weekend that irked me a lot. The comments that followed didn’t help to stop the irritation. I didn’t respond though.

I see arguments on Twitter when I disagree with the things people are saying. Reading them sometimes makes the blood pressure go up. I don’t engage however.

Sometimes I’m standing in a group of people and there will be a debate where I have strong opinions in. While listening to the argument, I feel the need to punch a wall. But I don’t speak up.

There’s a lot of times that I want to say things but I don’t.

It’s not that I’m afraid to say something. It’s more so that other people shout louder than me.

There are folks that have VERY strong opinions and they are not open into hearing things from the opposing end. If I try to say something, it gets lost in the crowd. People speak over me. Even if I know I’m right and I have tons of things to back me up, it sometimes feels like it’s not enough to get the other person to hear me.

It’s great that you have your beliefs and if you feel confident in them, you shouldn’t back down. But what frustrates me is when they think their way is the only way and they refuse to learn or listen to anyone else.

Here’s an example for me: In case you still haven’t picked it up after reading my blog, I’m a Christian. I am very strong in my faith and I’m not going to change it. However, I take the time to learn about other religions. My minor was religious studies and it was probably one of the best decisions I made in my life. Because in doing so, it helped me make me see why I believe what I believe and it made my own faith stronger. But at the same time, it helped me to understand those of other religions a lot better because now I knew what they believe in and understand their POVs and I don’t need to scream about what I believe in.

Maybe I’m just weird. I’m strong in my opinions of what I like or believe in. But (outside of family) I’ve found that being belligerent about what you’re passionate about, even with people who do agree with you, doesn’t always lead to the best results.

Learning about the other side doesn’t mean you’ll sacrifice your own beliefs. Sometimes you need to stop shouting in order to make yourself be heard better.