Some things deserve a second chance, whether it’s a person, an experience, or a food.
Here’s a list of five things that might be worth looking at from a new perspective and/or given another chance.
It’s said that many exotic foods are an acquired taste, and many people need to eat them several times before they can be enjoyed. Usually, this is because we, as humans, develop our palette early in life, and if we are not exposed to certain flavors as a child, they taste completely foreign.
Exotic foods are relative in the sense that what makes them exotic is the fact that they aren’t part of a person’s culture. If you travel around the world, you’ll find that foods you consider exotic are actually common, including fish heads with eyeballs, mealworms, crickets, and animal body parts that don’t seem edible or appealing.
If you’ve previously rejected some exotic foods, like tamarind, haggis, poutine, or surströmming – a type of fish with a putrid smell that can make people gag – give it another try.
You just might like it the second time around.
Humans aren’t perfect; we all make mistakes. If you ditched everyone who did something wrong, you wouldn’t have anyone in your life. However, you might be hesitant to give second chances to certain people.
Of course, if you’ve been abused by someone, either physically or mentally, it’s probably not a good idea to give them another shot. However, sometimes people do deserve a second chance, especially when you truly care about them.
If you’ve cut someone out of your life because they said or did something you didn’t like, they were mean, or you felt betrayed by something they did, it might be worth preserving your friendship if you truly love that person. Sometimes people don’t even realize they’ve hurt someone, and there are always at least two sides to every story.
If you’ve seen a bunch of stories in the media painting police officers as bad guys who only get into their profession to exert their power over others, you’ve been heavily manipulated by the media. The problem with this belief is that it’s not accurate, and not all cops are bad. The media’s job is to get views in order to get high ratings, and to achieve that, they prey on people’s negativity bias. That’s why most of the stories you see on the news and social media are negative – negative stories get the views.
In truth, police officers do a lot of good for society, and without them, we would see a massive rise in crime, including property destruction, burglary, theft, violence, and even murder. There are countless officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep neighborhoods safe.
If you haven’t seen the positive side of law enforcement, check out the National Police Association (NPA) to find out more about what they’re doing to restore the reputation of officers who truly care and take their duties seriously.
When you’re not a huge rollercoaster buff, being coerced by friends to get on a ride at an amusement park can feel like torture. However, not all rides feel like a rollercoaster. If you don’t like the big drops, twists, and turns, there are plenty of other rides you might enjoy. For instance, giant swings can feel peaceful, and if you like the feeling of spinning, teacup rides can be really fun.
Whether it’s a digital game you play on the computer, a video game played on a console, or a board game played in the real world, you’ve probably found some you don’t enjoy the first time around. What’s interesting about games is that they can grow on you the more you play them.
It’s possible that you’ve brushed off a game because a part of the plot doesn’t make logical sense, or you think something is a little too silly. Or perhaps the imagery doesn’t appeal to you, or it feels too complicated. For example, a lot of people start playing Risk and feel like it’s too complicated, but over time, they come to love the game.
Things change with time, including emotional maturity and taste buds. Whether it’s forgiving someone you love, getting on an amusement park ride, or tasting a food you rejected when you were young, some things deserve a second chance.
