I’ve spent a lot of time trying to back away from ideologies, both the ones that I grew up with and the ones I adopted on my own. I don’t know if I’m completely free from them now but they don’t have as strong a hold on me as they once did. These are some things I’ve found helpful for stepping outside of ideologies and seeing things that I would otherwise have missed.
- Detach from any ideologies you may have. Remember that you’re a human that has ideas, not ideas that have a human. This applies equally to everyone else, even people who couldn’t disagree more with you.
- Realize that things you like may be false and things you dislike may be true.
- Consider that everything you know and believe may be wrong. Go further with this by arguing as best as you can against your positions and for the opposing positions.
- Listen patiently. Speak carefully and only after much quiet contemplation.
- Sit with whatever information comes your way without judging it until you understand it fully. Seek out people who seem to understand that information and can explain it in ways that make sense to you.
- Avoid false dichotomies; something can be both/and rather than either/or. You don’t have to agree with something you find abhorrent or reject something you find wonderful just because there’s an ideology that says you have to. Similarly, you can hold two perspectives that aren’t often paired with each other if they both make sense to you.
- Slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together as you find them. Be prepared to rearrange them anytime it appears you’ve made a mistake or whenever you gain a new piece that makes you rethink things.
- Look for the picture that appears to be true, not the one that you want to be true. If multiple pictures are plausible, then either keep searching until you find the true one or be content with not knowing.