The ability to be inclusive in all realms is important for a range of reasons. Choosing to be emotionally open to everyone is a strong contributing factor in both our connection with others and our understanding and acceptance of ourselves. With the world being so diverse and home to an incredibly vast array of cultures, religions, environments, and people, it is inevitable that we will meet those whose ideologies, concepts, and ways of life differ from our own. However, in all facets of life and within all people, there are elements of beauty, intrigue, compassion, excitement, love, and interest, as well as an assortment of other qualities that could play a part in our lives.
I was watching my children play with a young boy this afternoon, and the openness and honesty children show toward one another are fascinating in themselves. Yet one of the most fascinating things I see is how innocent and uninfluenced they can be. This can have both positive and, unfortunately, negative effects. Fundamentally, however, children begin with no preconceived notions about interaction; they accept everyone and are naturally inclusive—initially, anyway.
Exclusivity, superiority complexes, and feelings or beliefs that one person is better than another are traits developed over time, with external influences contributing significantly to this outcome in many cases. Throughout my life, I have been exposed to people from a range of different walks of life: from drug addicts to multimillion-dollar, high-level professionals, and from families in housing projects to those born into incredible, old-money wealth. Although status and available resources contribute greatly to the course of each person’s life, it is still easy to see who consciously maintains an open and inclusive view of life and who holds a closed and exclusive one. This is prevalent across all levels of societal status—or perceived societal status, anyhow.
Being open-minded and inclusive of people from all walks of life, regardless of status or situation, is a contributing factor in our search for happiness. If we choose to close our minds to certain groups or types of people because of preconceived ideas about who we believe they are and who we believe we are by comparison, then we restrict our potential to understand the world and the life around us. If we choose to shut ourselves off from a potential source of growth, we hinder the person we could become and limit the happiness we could achieve.