Many shades of gray

All the negativity and polarization surrounding this election made me think about why some people think that anyone who does not hold their same beliefs is wrong. I believe the root cause is seeing everything in black and white. This is my belief and my belief is right, therefore if you don't believe what I believe, then you must be wrong. It's much more complicated to realize that life is many shades of gray.

The limited view is what bothers me most about religion, in particular Christianity as it's the religion most familiar to me. The thinking that only they have the correct beliefs and that everyone else is wrong and they should 'spread the word'. Great way to keep a religion going strong. Go out and recruit! Even different sects of Christianity think others are wrong.

Not only do we as a humans try to label everything and everyone as right and wrong, we also try to lump people together into nice, neat labels. And pick the worst from those groups to define everyone we placed in them. Some terrorists are Muslims, therefore all Muslims must be terrorists. Some Christians are hypocrites, therefore all Christians must be hypocrites. This is obviously faulty reasoning, but it's subconscious in most of us.

What would happen if instead of framing the world in right and wrong, us versus them, everyone tried to understand and accept others for who they are and what they believe in and saw them as individuals?