In the last year, I have come to see that openmindedness and tolerance for others’ opinions is nonexistent (or nearly so) among my family, both among those who are close and even more so among those who are of my extended family. The derision, condescension, and hostility is so great when taken together as a whole that I am left to question myself, to question whether I am similarly affected.

While I have been one to question even the nature of my existence and doubt the fundamentals of my long-held beliefs, I wonder if I, too, am categorically dismissive of thoughts that conflict with what I hold for now to be true. In the past, I have been told without invitation by some people that I was “very openminded” or “very humble.” But now I wonder if that is really true. Am I really the outlier in my family? Or am I just another arrogant branch of the tree of hubris?