All tagged unity
Engaging means we loosen our grip on our current embeddedness (or entrenchment), in order to make space for the other perspective at the table. It means we are able to open our minds to truly listen, not focusing on what parts of our own position we need to defend. It means we make every effort to try and see the world through the eyes of the other, and see the deeper reality beneath what words the other is saying.
Our country was built on this idea and ideal of independence, but the part we forget to acknowledge is that independence was only possible for our country through interdependence of the individuals within it. We aren’t created to be independent but rather interdependent.
We are relational beings, and to pursue independence is an exercise in missing the point, setting ourselves up for failure.
What is it that we like about “sameness?” Isn’t funny that we as adults tend to be much more attracted to sameness than kids? For some reason, the older we grow, the more group-ish we become. What comes from our group-ish tendencies? Does that produce positive results? And ultimately, why does it even matter?
We’ve got our work cut out for us in this one…
What feels good about making a judgment? It makes us feel protected. It makes us feel in the right. It makes us feel better-than. It makes us more secure in our own beliefs. The question I’ve been pondering is: What would our society be like if we made less judgments and more observations? Before we get there, let’s try to unpack our propensity toward judgment...
