We see the world as we are

Often we are blissfully ignorant of our own lopsided, one-dimensional and / or biased view of happenings around us. This is often the result of our inability to see things from a broader perspective or because we jump to conclusions quickly. Perhaps our inability to listen to others compounds the problem too. The net result however is that we end up being ill informed, believe partial truths and arrive at erroneous conclusions that can have detrimental consequences for us.

The following suggestions can help each of us have a holistic view of the world around us.

Be aware of our personal bias. – Our assumptions largely influenced by our personal biases often result in us seeing things from a very narrow perspective and erroneously believing that to be the only right thing. Our bias also influences us overlook red flags, ignore warning signs, makes us dogmatic and we are prone to seeing things the way we want it to be. Past personal experiences are a key reason why we are either overly risk averse or blissfully foolhardy rather than being pragmatic. E.g. Pushing kids to choose a stream of study that is time tested like engineering / commerce etc. whereas they have many off beats paths to tread on.

Accept the reality that there could be another point of view – As we are largely influenced by logical thinking, we get bogged down in our thinking and ignore views that do not fit into our frame of thinking. Negotiations often get impacted when parties to the negotiation are dogmatic that there is only way to see things and that is their personal viewpoint only. E.g. accepting that the world is round is tough initially because as far as our eye can see, the world is flat.

Be prepared to be corrected – Our ego gets hurt when someone points out our errors. Yet, mistakes happen all the time and it is in our interest to be aware of our mistakes and correct it. However, very often we try to justify ourselves, defend our view point and pick on others faults instead of listening with an open mind. Our erroneous thinking when corrected actually gives us an advantage; for now we are on the right track. However, to get on to the right track we must be prepared to be corrected. E.g. during annual appraisal the superiors often share with us our areas for improvement. Our reaction to their observations holds the key to our progress thereafter.

See things from another’s perspective – Many times we are so obsessed with our own thoughts, ideas and views that we wade into a conversation or discussion wanting to inflict our opinions on all. At times we are so passionately convinced about our opinions that we neither pay attention to others nor do we respect a differing view point even if we grudgingly admit it has some merit. This also creates unpleasantness when differences crop up and we remain obstinate, unrelenting and dogmatic. E.g. Our fanatical obsession with our personal food/ fashion/ political preferences etc.

Be ready to learn and change. – The speed of change often overtakes us and yet we are unwilling to adapt to the change. Technological changes are a classic case in point. Either because we technologically challenged or because we are old fashioned, we are often reluctant to adapt to the changes. At times we find it embarrassing to have to be taught by young people, while other times we find it tough to cope with the nuances of the learning. We rationalize that the good old days were better to continue the status quo. E.g. adapting to online banking and similar commercial transactions/ using varied apps

Try these:

Ask youngsters what are the latest apps and choose two apps that you think will be very useful for you. Use it regularly and decide if it is useful for you.
Outline three changes around you, that you never anticipated/ imagined 5 years ago.
What are your three cherished ideas/ views with which the following people differ completely?