We live only for a short time on Earth. Yet we often behave as if we own both time and truth. We build borders, opinions, and convictions as if they were eternal, and sometimes we go so far as to decide what other people are allowed to believe, think, or be — simply because it aligns with our own worldview.

That is precisely why human rights are so essential.

If life is short, fragile, and temporary, it should make us more humble, not harsher. Every person is given only one life, one perspective, one set of experiences. None of us holds the ultimate truth. And yet, again and again, we see people trying to force others to conform — religiously, politically, culturally, or morally. Not because harm is being done, but because “this is what I believe, therefore you should too.”

Human rights exist to protect us from this.

The right to think freely, to believe or not believe, to express oneself and live without persecution is not a luxury. These are fundamental protections in a world where power and majorities can otherwise easily override the individual. When we deny others the right to believe what they want — as long as it harms no one — we deny their humanity.

It is easy to defend human rights in theory. The hard part is practicing them, especially when we encounter beliefs that provoke, frighten, or directly contradict our own values. But tolerance does not mean agreement. It means accepting that other people have the right to their own lives and thoughts, even when they differ from ours.

When we try to control what others are allowed to believe, we often do so in the name of “good intentions.” History, however, shows that coercion — even when justified as moral or righteous — rarely leads to anything good. It leads to fear, silence, and division. In the end, we all lose.

Living in a society that respects human rights requires courage. The courage to endure difference. The courage to say: I disagree with you, but I defend your right to think for yourself. It also requires self-reflection — the willingness to question our own convictions and recognize that they are not automatically more valuable than anyone else’s.

If life is short, we should use our time to create space rather than restrictions. To protect one another rather than control one another. Human rights are not an obstacle to society — they are a promise that every life, however brief, has value in itself.

And perhaps that is where it begins: with the realization that none of us is here long enough to have the right to govern another person’s inner world.

If life is short, why do we spend so much energy trying to control how others think and believe?

Have you ever felt judged or restricted because of your beliefs? How did it affect you?

Where is the line between standing up for your values and forcing them onto others?

Are we truly tolerant, or only as long as others think like we do?

What would society look like if we took the right to think freely as seriously as the right to speak freely?

Can you defend someone’s right to believe differently from you, even when it challenges or provokes you?

What do human rights mean to you — in everyday life, not just in theory?

I ask these questions because human rights are not just abstract or theoretical ideas — they are about how we think, act, and treat one another in everyday life. The questions are not meant to provide easy answers, but to encourage reflection and self-examination.

By asking questions instead of giving ready-made answers, I invite you to pause and examine your own beliefs. How tolerant are we really when we encounter views that differ from our own? Where is the line between respect and control?

The questions also serve as a reminder that human rights begin at the individual level. They are not only about laws, states, or historical abuses, but about our daily choices: how we speak to one another, how we judge others, and how much space we allow people to be themselves.

Finally, these questions are asked to open up dialogue rather than conflict. In a world where many people believe they hold the only truth, we need conversations built on curiosity, humility, and respect. This questions can be the starting point for exactly those kinds of conversations.