Something that’s sorely lacking in much of our discourse today is a sense of perspective.
We’re encouraged to view others as enemies when their viewpoint doesn’t perfectly align with our own.
Polarization causes us to assume that anyone who isn’t in complete agreement with us is either evil or stupid.
It also can cause us to forget that we too are susceptible to errors and must always be willing to learn more.
The antidote to this type of ideological tunnel vision is to remember that every single person is experiencing the world from a slightly different vantage point.
Our combined experiences and understanding provide only a partial picture of reality.
What we know can change with even a slight shift in perspective.
Those “aha” moments of realization are called epiphanies and they’re something we should all be continuously seeking.
When we engage others in honest and open dialogue, our goal shouldn’t be to get them to admit that they’re wrong and we’re right.
Instead, we should be striving for the kind of conversation that expands the perspective of everyone who is participating.
Such discussions are not so much about trying to win each other over as they are about offering one another a broader vantage point than we had before.
This means we must be willing to ask sincere questions as well as share our knowledge without the expectation that others must agree with us.
If both parties can come away better informed, then it was a successful exchange.
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