I joined Tumblr 1 year ago (actually it was a few years ago but I never used it until a year ago) and among many things I’ve discovered, is that many of you have no idea what your rights as a human being are, so I thought I’d share some knowledge. 

You have every right - to believe anything your heart desires. Whether it is  a fandom ship, a religious view, political view, or whatever. You as a human are free to believe anything you like, and no one can force you to believe otherwise. However…

You do not have the right - to force that belief down anyones throat, no mtter how near and dear to your heart that belief is, others also have the right to believe what they believe too. 

If your belief can be proven true - Via canon, science, undeniable evidence, or spoken words by those who “own” the truth of that matter (ie author of the book or actors of the character) then you have the right to correct others, but not to slander them or otherwise treat them like shit.

If your belief can be proven false - via the same means above, you still have every right to hold on to your belief, but you should realize that if you still promote your belief, you will likely be debated or corrected, so be ready for it.

You do not have the right to - physically or verbally abuse another human being for holding a view different than yours. It’s just wrong

What you need to realize is - Everyone is different, everyone has had different life experiences that aid in how they think, and ultimately, what they believe. This doesnt mean you should hate them, or that they hate you. “I think or believe something different” is not synonymous with “I hate you” and it should never be thought to be. 

Speak your mind - but understand that while you may be able to educate someone, you cannot make them believe something. They need to experience it first hand, just like you did, to change their belief.. Saying “If you dont believe it, then you’re a [insert insult here] will never change someones mind about the “thing” but will make you look bad, and probably your “thing” instead. You are doing no one any favors by making accusations. 

Ive been around longer than most of you, and learned many things, and to this day I can assure you, my mind was never changed about any subject because someone called me names, threatened my life or otherwise tried to shove a belief down my throat. A big part of everything that is wrong with the world today is the result of people trying to force ideas on to others. Debate, talk, discuss, but be civil. If you give hate, you will surely have it returned 10 fold. 

No one swallow anything shoved down their throat, they will choke on it, and spit it out, and most likely on your shoes!