Why you are YOU (part 3)

Have you ever had a conversation with someone you knew, and the two of you could not see eye-to-eye on an issue?

I’m not talking about a disagreement; I’m talking about understanding the other person’s perspective. If you understand the other side you may agree with it. You still have the right to disagree with it. If you do not understand the other side then you have no real way of knowing if you agree or disagree. It’s even harder if you’re trying to figure out the source of this confusion, and all you have to work with is the other person’s opinions/thoughts/conclusions.

My best guess is if you feel like this, the other person feels the same way about your side, too. You’re both wondering, what’s going on here?

The best insight I have is this: if it were a math equation we’re talking about and you know the answer is 6, you can come up with dozens of ways to get to the answer 6 faster than you can write them down. Knowing the numbers on the other side of the equation is important. So is knowing if it’s addition or division. When it gets complicated we need to know what kind of equation it is. Is it a simple one, a long equation, or maybe calculus?

What I’m talking about is context. In different situations people will respond in a different manner. This includes the location, the surroundings, mood, frame of mind, or time of the day of the situation. They all factor into the equation.

Have you ever been shot down (harshly) by someone who seemed to be having a bad day? That’s what I mean by responding to context. Think about it: do you act differently around certain people, or at certain places, than most of the time? I know I do. We’re responding to context when we do that.

Philosophy: understanding someone else’s perspective takes more than knowing where they’re coming from; you have to know what’s around them and how it will affect them if you want to understand them.