Why Such Strong Views?

There are things to pique strong emotions in us all.

We care, or don’t care, for many reasons. It’s good to know why we are so strong in our views. Is such strength of view a good thing? Sometimes yes; sometimes no.

Why is it that our views are so strong? Why is it that others views are strong, and correspondingly stronger as we see them?

Stronger Our View – More Isolated We Become

The strength of our views, and what they are, represents the deeper person inside.

In what is commonly referred to as transference, we telegraph our inner pain and irreconcilable features, unsuspectingly and with full sincerity, hardly doubting both our ‘fact’ and intent.

But the facts are increasingly blurred the stronger our views become, and our intent, too, becomes self-righteously exposed. We all have our hobby-horse agendas that expose the fault-lines of our personalities.

Our strength of view is a good predictor of a special type of narcissism, with which we can all be prone. When we polarise into our truth—the truth only we are seeing—our views can only be strengthened; despite other vital information that would otherwise temper such strong views—and for good reason.

Strong views, therefore, are to be avoided. Governing them in logic and reasonability is always better, for truth is more abstract to the partial, judgmental human eye.

When we cling to our truth, especially in spite of resistance, the truth gets lost in our passion to retain or gain power. We become blinded by it. Truth is quickly swamped and silenced.

Holding To Broader Perspectives

It pleases God and wins us more respect when we are seen to hold to broader perspectives. It’s no irony that abiding with the truth serves us, and others, very well.

The mature person works on the strong views that emerge from within them and they search for a more pliable thought framework. Introspective challenge is their constant aim. And because they are not sold on one or two hobby-horse big ideas their minds are free to challenge their thinking.

We should routinely challenge our thinking. If we don’t, we tend to instead challenge other people’s thinking—and perhaps too much. More introspection equals more growth and learning and less judging of others.

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Strong views do not serve us well. It would be better for us to challenge our thinking, not others’ thinking. If our views are valid, action proves far more convincing than words.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.