"I need people in my life that I disagree with. People who do not agree with me, also need me in their lives."
I think this is exactly the right attitude, although so few people understand this. The minute you disagree with them on any issue they see you as either stupid or evil. They will attack you ad hominem.
It is as if most of us can no longer listen to any arguments contradicting our own opinions and so it becomes impossible to learn from one another and maybe find common ground, every theory becomes doctrine instead of a starting point for further research.
Precisely, @evehuman! I believe that this failure to find commonality is the breeding ground for racism, sexism, an all the other "isms" and issues that our nation and world fight about. At the very basic level, recognizing the common ground of sharing in the human race, we should be compelled to compassion for our neighbors. From my studies in psychology and counseling, and the great opportunities I have had to design and run research studies, I have learned that we must be motivated by humility and compassion. These two factors will help us remain teachable and truthful in reporting our findings. Research can be so exciting!
Yes I fully agree. And while compassion comes most often natural to those who aren't sociopaths, humility is an attitude we have to learn and remind ourselves of over and over again.
Yes, I'm sure it must be quite fascinating to do psychological research. I hope you will share some of what you learned here with us.