Perhaps it is not difference, but distance that breeds tribalism and hostility. As proximity increases, so does understanding. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln's quote, “I don't like that man. I must get to know him better.” Facts don't change our minds. Friendship does.
You're under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously.
We’re highly attuned to contradictions, I think. You might say they make us who we are. Even our attitude to contradictions is contradictory - we indulge our own but deny others the right to any.