I hope everyone reading this can at least accept the possibility that the company we keep has a strong influence on the way we see the world, and we seek out company that agrees with that worldview. It’s called Confirmation Bias, and if you didn’t know about it already, I’m sorry for poking a hole in your happy little picture of the world.

We like what we like, and it’s comforting to find other people who agree with us. It makes us feel good. It’s uncomfortable to be wrong or to face the unknown. So we settle down in our little social circles on Facebook, reading news articles by friends with similar political beliefs. We watch the recommended videos on YouTube because they are similar to ones we’ve liked before. We enjoy the status quo.

Over the last year and a half as I have navigated my new reality, I see how dramatically my social circles have changed. Suddenly I have Facebook friends living different lifestyles, with different political beliefs, with different religious choices. I follow television shows and YouTubers that directly address LGBT issues. And I know that I’m just falling into a different set of biases. I’m surrounded by friends that experience a different world than I grew up in, because I now experience a different world.

It’s important to try and allow yourself to be influenced by people who disagree with you. Try to listen to them without fear, because it’s very easy to use what they say to strengthen your own feelings. Try to understand and accept that they believe differently than you do, and that it’s not a bad thing. People are allowed to be different, and their opinion does not threaten your happiness. Diversity in everything is beautiful.