Don’t Push People Away—Pull Them In

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to alienate others and how much harder, but more rewarding, it is to embrace them.

We’re living in a world that loves labels. Conservative. Liberal. Religious. Atheist. Old-school. New-age. Introvert. Extrovert. We use these quick identifiers to sort people into neat little categories, and once someone doesn’t fit into the category we’re most comfortable with, we slowly step back. Sometimes we do it without even realizing. Other times, we do it because we’ve been taught that different is dangerous or unfamiliar is uncomfortable.

But here’s what I’ve come to believe: every single person carries something worth knowing. A story. A perspective. A wound. A gift. Something that might challenge you, or even change you, if you let it.

I’ve learned the most from people who aren’t like me. People who’ve grown up differently, believed differently, voted differently, lived differently. They’ve stretched my thinking, broadened my understanding, and deepened my empathy. They’ve helped me see that truth isn’t always black and white. It’s often messy and layered and colored by experience.

Embracing someone doesn’t mean you lose who you are. It means you create space for who they are. It means showing up with curiosity instead of contempt. It means being willing to say, “I don’t have to agree with everything about you in order to care about you deeply.” That’s not compromise. That’s humanity.

We miss out when we write people off. When we reduce them to a label or a moment or a mistake. We were never meant to be carbon copies of each other. God made us complex. Rich in differences. Beautifully flawed and wonderfully unique.

So instead of pulling away from people who make you uncomfortable, try pulling closer. Ask questions. Listen more than you speak. Look for what makes them light up. Learn their story before you form your opinion. You’ll be surprised at how much common ground you can find when your goal is connection instead of correction.

Because deep down, most people just want to be seen. Heard. Valued. And let’s be honest—we do too. That’s where real connection begins. Not in sameness, but in sincerity. Not in debate, but in dignity.

So today, don’t push people away because they’re different. Embrace them. Celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Because the more we learn to value others for who they are, the better we become at being who we’re meant to be.

And honestly, the world could use a lot more of that right now.