We all have ideas about how the world should be...

I think that when Loeb states, “The more we listen to those whose experiences and perspectives are unfamiliar, the more we realize what draws us together,” he means that there is a commonality in every human being whether it seems like it or not. Someone may outwardly speak for a belief they have that opposes to one of your own, but this person has also led a very different life than you have. Just because they believe something different does not necessarily make them a bad person. The real misfortune is when people are too glued to their own ideas that they refuse to consider another’s point of view.

I think that when people with opposing viewpoints talk things out, that if they really listen to each other they can find respect for both views—or at least learn something important from one another. While one perspective may be seemingly flawless, it is virtually a waste if not talked about openly with those who may disagree. Any view that excludes others who do not automatically concur is on its way to becoming a clique, and this will ultimately prevent any substantial progress to be made.

What ‘draws us together’ is the fact that we all have ideas about how the world should be. Without speaking openly about these ideas, the progress we make will be much slower. When we consider everyone as an important person with ideas that are worth being heard, there is a snowball effect of this feeling of acceptance. This sort of supportive environment allows people with different views to come together and to ultimately make the world a better place. I think this is what we all truly want.

One example of Loeb’s idea is the story of Julia Devin affiliating herself with the military. The book says that all of her fellow activists belonging to Central American peace were appalled at the fact that Julia even gave these people the time of day. But Julia realized that, even though she did not agree with the ideals of many people belonging to the military, her mission would never be accomplished unless she collaborated with them.

`Honestly, I can compare this on a much smaller scale to my relationship with my parents. We tend to disagree on every little thing imaginable, even to this day. During my teenage years I tried to completely ignore them because I didn’t like the way they handled most situations within the household. As you could imagine, this got me absolutely nowhere. Once I realized that the only way either of us was going to get anywhere is if we worked together and had respect for each other, things got so much easier. Though I still don’t agree with many of their ideals, we continue to work together to support each other in what we are trying to do. I think this sort of thing happens on much larger scales, such as Julia’s story, and as well as many others.