Life, Love, and my newly realized Stubbornness

I realize that I no longer know how to communicate with people. As a mater of fact I'm not so sure i ever did. People are all wired so differently, and for as long as i can think back on i have only put effort into viewing things through my own lens. This means i have not the slightest clue how other people are receiving what I say, unless they think and process just like me. When am I overbearing, when do I cross lines, when am i understood, I have no idea.

God has been smacking me in the face with so many different things relating to this lately. Now that politics are running rampant I get to have "discussions" with several of the most stubborn people I have ever met. People of unwavering devotion, who i view as blinded by their alliances. Shutting things out, leaving questions unanswered, or insulting opposing views. In their eyes they are justified, and in mine they fail to take many things into consideration.

In the midst of all of this I have slowly had it pointed out to me that i can be very much the same way with several aspects of my life. Most of the time i am not trying to be. I am justified in what i say, and what my opinions are darn it! I know i am right because of things i have experienced, how things have changed, and how things can be. These are all the same arguments used by the (in my eyes) crazy political people who fail to see the whole picture. So how do I change?

Also I have learned and now look at my inherent ability to make it sound like every comment i make i think is far superior to the ideas preceding it. When i give my opinion I think it is far better than the others therefore all of you should agree with me, and change your ways. This is true in part, I do think my opinion is, or can be better than that of others, or is at least equally valid, why else would i bring it up? Often I just want a reason for my opinion not to stand. I don't want to argue because i want to be right, I want to debate so I can better understand what is going on and adapt my views on things.

So how do I change?

How do I learn to communicate with people and love them more?

I want to blame all of my issues on others, and could easily point out that it is their problem that they misinterpret me, they have not had the same experiences so can't know what I know. They need to wise up and know that i know what i am talking about.

But these are all bunk arguments. Anything that i can say about another person can be turned around and said right back to me.

So how do i break out of my narrow minded thinking and acting?

The more important issue, how do i better understand people and get them to better understand me.

I feel self centered touting about people getting me, me, me.... But it's kind of a big deal in my life, granted there is probably a lot to be said if i were to more often just shut up and listen.