
There’s a growing awareness of cultural differences in American society, and many Americans are taking steps to improve their own communities.
Here are three steps you can take to protect and celebrate these differences.
1.
Celebrate your differences.
When you find yourself in a conflict with someone or something you don’t agree with, remember that people are different and that you may be right about your perspective, but they’re not all the same.
You may be surprised by the extent to which your friends and family members differ from yours, but you shouldn’t be surprised if they’re also different.
It may be tempting to say you disagree with someone’s opinion, but don’t do so at your own peril.
The best way to avoid being called out for your opinions is to simply celebrate your differences with other people and to acknowledge that some people may disagree with you more than others.
Acknowledge your own, and other people’s, differences with pride.
2.
Take action.
When someone you don: Oppose something you like, or think is wrong; or support someone who does; or is concerned about something that worries you or someone else; or wants to support someone you like or think you can trust; or thinks you should support someone with whom you share an interest; or feels that you can be an advocate for someone who disagrees with you; or disagrees with someone who has a different perspective than you, take action to do something about it.
You can make a difference by making a commitment to stop doing something you’re not interested in doing.
This can mean going to your boss, changing your Facebook status to read, stopping sending emails, stopping sharing posts on your Facebook page, or even giving up your job to care for someone you care about more.
Make a commitment that you will never, ever do something you are not willing to do. 3.
Be more careful.
Don’t let anyone tell you you have to change.
It’s important to recognize that you are unique and that your opinions may not be as widely held as those of others.
There are ways to learn from and embrace your differences and to avoid creating more of them.
These steps can also help you develop more empathy and compassion, so that you’re more likely to listen to and support someone else’s experience.
Read more about cultural sensitivity in “Cultural sensitivity: How to stop cultural appropriation and protect cultural diversity.”
2.
Stop giving your personal opinion too much attention.
If you find your personal opinions to be controversial, or if you don.t always know how others will react to your opinions, it may be hard to recognize when you’ve gone too far.
You don’t need to agree with every single person or organization on everything, and if you do disagree with them, you’re probably doing so for a good reason.
You should be able to recognize what they’re saying and what they want and need.
But don’t just take their word for it.
If someone tells you they disagree with something you believe, listen carefully.
Maybe they just disagree with your position or their interpretation of something, but if you can’t listen to what they have to say, it’s not really worth listening to them.
If, for example, you disagree strongly with their interpretation, it might be helpful to take a closer look at how they’ve interpreted the text.
Read an article about how to do this: The Conversation.
You also need to make sure that people who have different viewpoints from yours aren’t being given a free pass.
Don: Do something you think is appropriate, especially if you think the situation is uncomfortable or unfair.
Do not: If you’re making a conscious decision to make a change, do not stop the change and don’t tell others to stop the thing you’re doing.
3: Don’t just be tolerant.
When it comes to cultural differences, you should always treat them with the respect they deserve.
Be respectful, but also tolerant of the differences you find between people, cultures, and political views.
There’s no reason to get angry or upset if someone you disagree, or who disagrees strongly with you, disagrees with something that you think could be beneficial to the world.
This is important because it’s the right thing to do in many situations.
And it’s a good way to keep your personal life safe, because people are likely to disagree with things you hold dear.
You’ll also want to avoid making assumptions that people disagree with the same way you do.
That means accepting the differences between you, your values, and your worldview, even if it doesn’t always align with the views of others you know and love.
Read “The Conversation: How do I be a good ally to people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and economic backgrounds?”