Is there anyone with some maturity in the room?

Listening With The Intention of Truly Understanding

It’s not uncommon that when we are conversing with a person, we may not actually be listening intently.  It’s quite possible that we are preparing our response while the person is speaking.  (I’ve certainly done this on a few occasions.)  This is particularly true if the conversation involves some disagreement.  

One of the healthiest things that we can do in a relationship is to genuinely listen; in other words, to listen with the intention of truly understanding what the person is saying.

When People Resort To Name-Calling

If you have a disagreement with someone and the person resorts to name-calling, there's a good chance the person cannot actually support their position with facts.

What Does It Mean To Be Tolerant?

The true definition of “tolerance” is not the idea that everyone agrees on all issues or, even, that we understand everyone’s position on a matter to be correct.  The fact is that genuine tolerance can only actually happen when we disagree.  However, being tolerant means that we disagree respectfully and graciously.