You don't need to understand something for it to be valid.

I feel this on the cellular level. Being an open-minded and understanding person has been a part of my identity for very long. But the more I become aware of how others feel, the more I realize that, to begin to understand, you'd need to validate its existence.

We all have our own experience and our perception of the world is then reinforced by our own limited social circle.

Outside of that, it's difficult to truly hear another perspective because among the disarray of good and bad information out there, we inevitably end up finding things to reaffirm how we see the world.

I think it is paramount to assume validity of different perspectives since it's so easy to dismiss an opposing notion using the arsenal of information you've gathered your whole life to support your own stance.

So next time before we shrug something off because it seems stupid, maybe it is the exact thing we need to learn about a whole new world of information that we didn't think existed.