The World Needs More Listeners part 2

     In my experience as a human being, I have come across something that seems to have made my life a tad more miserable than it ought to have be:

     Other people.

     As much as I avoid talking to people and associating myself with life, it seems like people have the most potential to do harm to another human being than anything else in the world.  How is it done, you ask?

    Surprisingly, the most common of hurts doesn't come from: sticks, stones, mallets, swords, knives, drugs, poison, fists, bombs, and guns.

     It comes from another person's lips.

     Those lips can utter a strange world of insult, madness, frustration, and slander.

     More than any weapon on Earth, words are the most used instruments of destruction.  Like many objects such as knives and hammers, they can be used for good purposes, but at the desperation and frustration of the individual, they convert these relatively pacified instruments into potentially harmful objects.

     Words.  Especially specific ones-- when used, can turn us into monsters.

    Much of the world are weary of so much slander-- ubiquitous in the mouths of many-- the television, the internet, the radio, and every instrument of media known to man.  A day doesn't pass where such acerbic words aren't conveyed to another person or party.

     These words build up-- they weather us.  They change us.  They change our nature.

     One has to know that people are like a block of clay; the potter being that of the world.  So are the words of the world like that of the potter's hands.  They can be rough, but they can be skilled.  In that sense, we are part of the world, too.

     Do we want to be the hands that turn the block of clay into mush, or a beautiful vase?

     As the individual is the block of clay, it is our duty to shape that person to be a beautiful instrument that can serve its purpose, whatever it may be.  A nice, accented, piece of glory that can be proudly displayed in any home.

     To do that, do we really need to hear and say such hateful words and convey such hateful action toward another human being?

     Over the days here, there are a TON of real-life examples I have seen where words just turned people into people who aren't really themselves.  I want to avoid that.  I want to see the world as a place where people aren't afraid to be themselves-- a place where all can cooperate and do what God has in store for them-- a place where one can unlock his or her fullest potential.  Beginning with you (me, also), here's some things that should be avoided as soon as possible.

Please don't avoid:

• Misunderstand another-- The key to many of today's problems could have been resolved if only people asked good questions.  Misunderstanding-- disconnects-- come from a lack of communication.  It comes from us not analyzing a situation before making a judgment.  To avoid such a tragedy, one must be able to humble themselves to seek understanding from the other party through looking through the lens of the that party.  So before calling someone out, ask what the person is doing and why he or she is doing it.  It'll help get a perspective on what really needs to be done rather than submit to name-calling or extreme frustration.
• Ignore a request - Neglect is one of the reasons why people have issues with abandonment, acceptance, and self-esteem.  Worse than giving someone a yes or no answer, this is not replying or acknowledging at all.  There's a great reason why jails and militaries use solitary confinement as punishment: the lack of human contact is unbearable to the most of us.  So it is with neglect.  The purposeful ignorance of a request-- of an idea of another human being-- may make another feel useless, angry, and depressed.  Believe me, people already have too much on their plates and the people with these ideas have gone through some effort so that you can hear the information they have collected-- just for you.  Don't ignore people.  Rather, acknowledge them.  Saying yes or no is all up to you, but just listen.  You may never know if that person whom you accept may be the next genius who benefits humankind!
• DENY a request - Saying "no" really hurts.  There is a time and a place for such, but personally, I try my best never to say "no."  There are a ton of alternatives to saying no such as "what about," "I'm afraid that [idea] will end up like," "here's what I think," and a plethora of other phrases.  No-- the word itself can boil the blood of a lot of people, giving them unnecessary stress and pain.
• Shoo off someone - This goes along with neglect.  Don't do this.  The person whom you've shooed off may have faced such rejection and unacceptance numerous times.  It may be his or her breaking point.  The shoo-er gives no clear explanation on why he wants this person out of his or her group, but there should be an explanation given!  That is the key to communication!  The one thing people in this life need more than anything is closure.  That is why religion exists.  That is why CSI people work so hard to find who killed who.  Remember always that before something like this happens, talk to the person you want to reject on why that is the case before actually doing the action.
• Discourage someone - Honestly, I think of this incredibly cruel.  Unless by some instance where the person may be doing something universally unacceptable, never EVER tell someone to quit what they're doing so hard with.  It kills morale, makes the other party really sad, and halts progression.  You may have potentially stopped the discouraged person from reaching his full potential as a musician, a teacher, a bus driver, a lawyer, a doctor, etc.  Patience.  This is incredibly important when dealing with others.
• Use any sort of violence to justify an action (or vice versa) - This is another incredibly cruel (and senseless) act that could be avoided altogether through effective communication.  Any sort of violence is unacceptable, because you're physically hurting another person because they had the audacity to call you out on something.  Swallow your pride.  Do whatever it takes to stop the rage from clenching your hands into fists and flying them to the other party's face.  Many laws protect the other person from such things and put you in a position where you may be facing a hefty fine and even jail time.  This may seriously damage another person both by bruises/broken/swollen body parts and even through psychological trauma.  We really don't want to go into any more of the repercussions that this has on a human being.  It's bad.  Try to reason.  Try to humble yourself.  Try to laugh.  Try to shout off a mountain.  Try to be the better man.  It'll alleviate any tense situation-- maybe not in a heartbeat, but eventually.

     Jesus had always told us to love and not to hate (John 13:34).  If hate abound even in a justifiable way, we have to forgive and love at least 490 times more (Matthew 18:21-22).  It's the Christian thing to do-- it's the right thing to do.  As we do it, we'll get closer to what agape truly means.  This is my wish to the world.  Don't be so hard on other people, because they're going through the same struggles as we all are.  We shouldn't make the world any cynical than it already is.