Oftentimes, we tend to think of our own observations as absolute facts.
We think we believe what we believe because we’re right, but this isn’t the case. We believe what we believe because of our history, lived experience, education, context, and the decisions we make about what we want to believe. And other people believe what they believe for these reasons too.
When we’re convinced that our observations are absolute facts it can be hard to listen to other people’s views when they differ from our own. It can be hard to be open to information that is counter to our own observations. So we close the door to curiosity, understanding, learning, and connection. We shut out or ridicule other voices or try to persuade others to accept our “facts.”
But when we do this, we’re ultimately saying that we don’t want to know what’s true for others. We’re conveying that we don’t care about others’ ideas, observations, and experiences unless they’re the same as ours.
Listening and holding space for others to speak what’s true for them doesn’t mean we’re agreeing with or supporting what they’re saying. It does, however, provide us with an opportunity to get curious and understand why they believe what they believe and where they’re coming from so we can meet them where they are.
Getting curious about how others see, experience, and think about the world doesn’t diminish our own observations. It enriches our perspectives.
