Surround Yourself With Smart People
“Whatever you do, surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you.” John Wooden
I grew up in a household where we argued about politics, world affairs, and anything we felt mattered. At the time, I wondered why we weren’t like other normal families who ate dinner and talked about their day. If something political was discussed during these meals with others, I couldn’t help myself.
Have opinion will share.
I like discussion, arguing a point, listening to the counterpoint.
Friends often tease me by raising some sort of issue, counter to what they think my opinion will be. Then they wait for the sparks to fly. It’s always incredible to me how transparent I am and how easy it is to find my triggers.
I like to think that I’m rationale when I argue my views, that I listen respectfully, that I concede when good points are made, but I’m Greek on one side and Lebanese and French on the other, so who knows.
This week Americans voted for a new President. He wouldn’t have been my choice. That’s an understatement coming from a way-to-the-left-of-center liberal like me. And by the looks of protests on the streets, he wasn’t the choice of many Americans.
Despite this and Trump’s assertions that the system was rigged (I’m sure he’s not saying that now), democracy had it’s day. And I can’t argue with that. It may be flawed in many ways, but it’s better than any other alternative.
So now, I can only hope that the President-elect will surround himself with smart people who will debate and reason with him. And more importantly, I hope he will listen and contemplate before taking action.
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