I’m not sure I need to be sure about a lot of things, a lot of times. There’s an irritation in that, and a danger. Not a lot of judgment has ever risen from not being too sure. If I combine that with a pinch of curiosity, and coat it in the warm blanket of empathy, it seems to me like a way to go. A way to go into tomorrow, into a new day, into raising children, into living in our communities, cohabiting, being alone too.
The danger of being so sure, so opinionated, so strong with our attitudes, is that I don’t trust a lot of you that you are forming informed opinions. Have you checked and rechecked your moral grounds? Would you be willing to change that in light of new information, logical arguments? Are you in love with yourself when you share your opinion with the world? Are you lazy? Lazy to learn, to inform yourself, to question your sources and look for better ones?
Excuse me, not a pinch of arrogance in this, but just a slight fear, that most of today’s opinions are LAZY OPINIONS.
I’m not sure I’m not lazy either, but 100% sure my curiosity still lives. Not completely opinionated, not entirely without opinions. All as seems fit to the circumstances of knowledge surrounding me and inhabiting me. The mind needs to stay open to the chance it’s wrong about things, there’s a learning opportunity in that and an opportunity for friendship. No one likes the know- it-all, unless the know-it-all is charming, or kind and allows for alternative approaches. I have no illusions I’m an overall, universal expert. I practice hunting for the moment ego bursts and craves for recognition. Perhaps this moment is exactly that. Nevertheless, these thoughts were with me for a while, so they deserve to be written.
Sanja Ivandic is one of the Co-Founders of Outside Multicultural Magazine. Sanja relocated to Ireland from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inspired by the Sligo Intercultural Project she managed for a while, as well as her work in various NGOs such as LEDA and World Vision, this Magazine was born.
Sanja wrote for several magazines, enjoys every form of writing, be it poems, case studies or prose. Her special skills lie in marketing. Currently she is an Employment Advisor. You can get in touch with Sanja by emailing her on: [email protected]
Sanja’s words on multiculturalism: “Multiculturalism for me is a synonym for humanity. Being diverse and similar at the same time is who we are and we must never forget it. Remembering this evokes respect, love, and peace, so we must keep reminding ourselves about the word multicultural”.
