Opine Less and Listen More – The Value Diversity

The car cast today was motivated by the turmoil of the 2017 presidential inauguration and the massive protest that followed it one day later.  My politics don’t matter at all and neither do yours.  No seriously, your daily opinions of what you find just or unjust are rarely earth shattering, rarely change hearts and minds, and more often than not the noise that drowns out thoughtful and honest consideration.  What does matter is a healthy curiosity to sincerely appreciate and understand the different and varying experiences of this singular condition that we all share.  Humanity.

My challenge to myself and to you is this. Add more diversity of everything to your everyday. Listen and ask more questions before sharing your two cents. And above all afford those with whom you disagree the benefit of goodwill. That is assume the very best of them until and unless they prove you otherwise. That makes a very big difference.

The value of diversity has been relegated to some meaningless term that is more often than not used to divide. But it ought not to be that way. There is genuine value in a diversity that helps each of us understand the experience of the other, the perspective and the prism though which their world is seen. We as humans have the gift of empathy but so few exercise it. Our temptation is to dive deeper into ourselves, and remain comfortable with who we are, what we tag as important. This is a limiting exercise.

Allowing our world to be shaped only by that with which we agree holds no value.

Today embrace diversity not as some politically correct necessity, but as a treasure chest of embracing the entire human experience.