We spend a great deal of time in our lives coming to conclusions. Why something happened. What caused something to happen.
Our logic applauds our ability to analyze and figure things out. Quickly. Without hesitation. The certainty of our conclusions makes us feel good. It protects us from expending any energy on doubt.
But how do we know that we considered all of the facts? How do we know that we came to the right conclusion? How do we know that we saw things from all points of view?
We never understand or accept the fact that there can be even one different point of view. A view that is different than ours. An interpretation that may conflict with our version of “the story”.
Why does a different point of view matter? Because sometimes we don’t see things the way they are. We color our stories with our point of view that makes us feel good. That makes us feel justified for the actions we took and the decisions we made.
Most importantly, we have a hard time “seeing” ourselves. Of understanding how we contributed to an outcome or how our thinking contributes to our struggle.
We need to use other people’s points of view as a mirror. To see ourselves more clearly. Yes, there are other way’s to look at things no matter what the situation, issue or problem. Different points of view do not make them right. But they should make us reflect on how their thinking is different than ours and then choose accordingly.
Different points of view matter because it is the only way that we can learn new things in our lives. They cause us to question our logic and may make our stories a little “less true”. Different points of view make other possibilities real. They suggest different behaviors or actions to accomplish what we want.
The challenge is to hear different points of views from people who are not necessarily near us. Those views are more valuable when they come from people who have different life experiences. Larger life experiences.
When we rush to a conclusion we, most times, miss something. We miss something important that could help us understand a better way to approach things. Next time. We can find a different ending that we missed because our experiences were too small.
We can make up a lot of time and learn a lot when we slow down and seek out different points of view. Especially when things don’t work out or when we struggle. When there appears to be no solution.
Our biggest failing is when we rely only on our closest friends that have shared in our same life experiences. They are the most difficult to learn from because we, most likely, see things the same way.
Compassion is comforting when we have close friends to share in our disappointments. They are the shock absorber of our lives. We need friends to help us laugh, relax, and enjoy. But sometimes, they are not honest with us. They don’t easily share their different points of view because they don’t want to hurt us.
That is why we need to seek out others that are not near us. Together with the discipline to listen, different points of view or interpretation of what there is and has happened is even more valuable to help us find “the glass half full” in living our life.
Not making the same mistake over demands that our thinking change. Investing the time and the silence necessary to listen to other people’s interpretation and points of view is priceless when they make us think and reflect on who we are.
Our “better” tomorrow depends on it.