A Certain Point Of View

You are an idiot, you know that?

If you are like me that is what you are thinking when you are listening to someone who you disagree with. If we are honest with ourselves maybe we can step back and think about their perspective.

Luke Skywalker: Why didn’t you tell me?! You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father!

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.

Luke Skywalker: A certain point of view?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.

I have a few family members that watch a particular news network and cannot believe that I, who agree with their views, would ever watch another network instead. My response is that I simply want to hear the whole argument as opposed to thinking one way about it.

I like to think for myself but I also need to understand what others are thinking to formulate a course of action or application. As a professor once told me, “there are at least six sides to every story”.

I use different techniques to expand my mind or broaden my horizons. I seek input from different sources from what I am comfortable with to keep my brain fresh. These are but a few mind expanders to sample.

1. Read a book from a different genre
2. Learn something new by taking a class
3. Take a walk and just listen to your surroundings
4. Mind puzzles such as Sudoku, crosswords or Logic
5. Study a new language
6. Do something bold
7. Play
8. Seek out new resources on subject matter
9. Subscribe to different blogs
10. Listen to alternative music. You know, like, Country.

Free your mind…and the rest will follow!