I majored in Psychology in college, so naturally I love examining the way people think and act. I try to remain as objective as possible, all the while cognizant of my own biases. Basically, in this post I'd like to bring up the idea of double standards. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as "a set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances than to another."
I feel like, to an extent, the whole concept of double standards sets all of us up to be hypocrites. This is because we all have differing definitions of right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. Ironically, there seemingly cannot be a standard to follow because we cannot agree on one. It's important to keep this in mind because it'll make conversations/discussions about controversial issues MUCH more civil and edifying. Seek to understand the viewpoints of someone who holds an opposing stance. You don't have to completely change your mind to agree with them - after all, I believe it's important to know where you stand firmly on an issue, and where you are sensing that your viewpoint requires tweaking upon receiving new information. Just make an honest attempt to see where they're coming from. Desire to learn more about people's stories, experiences, and resulting perspectives. Take your newfound information and use it to better your relationships and interactions with others.
In light of the fact that differing opinions are expressed AND it is important to stand up for what you believe, there is no realistic way we can agree with everyone, on everything, all the time. So I think this means that the problem of the double standard cannot be solved through "settling" or saying everybody is equally right. Again, I think the "double standard" is just something to be aware of when encountering someone with an opposite opinion; we'd be wise to consider it and proceed to dialogue with each other as courteously as possible.
