Introduction
Your beliefs and ideas are mostly intuitive and ingrained by the place where you’re born or have been in life. This results in a consistency of worldviews and personalities in an individual. There is nothing wrong with such a life where you are always living by the code of your religion or culture. However, this also makes you naive to different ideas and ideologies. It doesn’t mean you have to change your worldview or something, but just mere knowledge about other ideas can help you become better. That’s why it’s essential to question your ideology and ideas through criticisms and counterarguments. So, let’s explore the benefits of questioning your ideology and how it is a critical facet for growth and development.
Questioning Your Ideology For Growth
First of all, you need to have a clear outline regarding individual growth. It doesn’t mean you’re better than the rest, but acknowledging the individuality of other people. This harbours respect and dignity towards others, and it is a perfect combination for a healthy society. Moreover, you develop a positive outlook where you are not devolved into tribalism over minor disagreements.
You Learn Out of the Box
New ideas bring out creativity in an individual. However, all this is only possible when you learn about other ideas. It starts with questioning where you stand on different matters and what your worldviews are regarding various topics. This not only reveals what you believe but also gives you an opportunity to analyse your opinions.
Human life is all about the development and growth of individuals and communities. And changing your views is part of life, and it keeps you humble so you don’t have all the answers.
Developing Respect for Other Opinions
You don’t have to agree with everyone on everything. Disagreements are part of a healthy society, as everyone is entitled to their own opinions. As long as the aim of discussions and ideologies is the welfare of all people, then there is nothing to oppose.
In modern times, people have lost respect and are very disrespectful toward others, especially online. This is not good for the world and is a recipe for anarchy, trouble and even violence.
Better Blueprint to Seek Truth
There is a truth in life and in the universe. The way scientists work all their lives to unveil the material world, you should also work your way around human life. It does not consist of experimentation or lab work, but the ability to soak up different ideas, question your beliefs, and use criticism to be better.
This is the way you find truth, and eventually you’ll pay a heavy price for it as well. But that’s the beauty of life, where you’re willing to sacrifice your present for a better future.
Crucial for a Healthy Society/Community
Ideologies are like symbiotic organisms when they are open to debate. The individuals learn and gain from their belief system through discussions. However, when it becomes too hostile for questioning or criticism, it devolves into a parasite. This not only controls your brain but also makes anyone disagreeing with your worldview an enemy of the ideology.
So, what do people do? They destroy other ideas that are even remotely different from the original ones. This is a pathway of destruction and chaos in the world. Something that is very observable in the current times.
Final Thoughts on Questioning Your Ideology
To grow as an individual, you need to have an open mind. This means questioning everything around you. Don’t let the kid and curiosity of your younger self fade away with the consistencies of life. Question the fundamentals and push the limits to seek knowledge. Thus, become a better person and help others to seek out the truth.