Importance of talking to people with different perspectives
When people disagree, there needs to be a genuine • increases understanding and retention of the assessment of common and opposed interests and others messages outcomes. • increases high- quality problem solving abili It is often expected that each party will sacrifice ties some of the opposed interests so that the common • promotes more positive attitudes towards in benefits, concerns, advantages, and needs may be teractions met and agreed upon. To obtain a genuine assessment of common and opposed interests it is neces- There are five important aspects of perspectivesary to see the situation from the perspective of the taking. other parties. 1. Realising that everyone involved has a unique perspective. “Social Perspective-Taking” is the ability to empathize with another person and how that person is behaving cognitively and emotionally. The polar opposite being more linked to egocentrism (being unaware that other perspectives exist). It would be a disadvantage to yourself to assume someone’s own view is incomplete or limited.
2. A person’s perspective selects and organises what the person experiences. 3. People can have different perspectives at different times of their life. 4. The same message can mean two entirely different things from two different perspectives.
Talking to people with different perspectives results 5. Misunderstandings often occur because we in: assume that everyone sees things from the same • more information both personal and imper perspective as we do. sonal This kind of communication is sometimes a neglect• increases the capacity to phrase messages so ed tool. Once comfortable with, it can be a very that they are easily understood useful asset in communication, and understanding the world around us! • increases accurate understanding of others messages 19
