Perspective Is A Teacher- If We're Willing to Listen and Learn

A few years ago, I was at a friend’s business getting a service done. This procedure took about an hour, so there was lots of time to catch up, and lots to catch up on.

The conversation started with what was new. The casual small talk. It then went to be about people experiencing homelessness, the people using drugs in the back alley of their business, etc. While I agreed that it was unfortunate for business owners to have to deal with that, I had a very different viewpoint on what would solve the issues of homelessness, and people struggling with addiction.

Initially, my back up against the wall, and I felt defensive, but I didn’t feel this was the place or the person who was going to listen to my perspective or change hers. Perhaps that was an assumption of mine, and I didn’t know for sure, but it’s what I went with at the time. She was quite opinionated and dug her heels in with her worldviews.

I should note that I don’t love the way many people view those experiencing homelessness, nor do I agree with “they should just get a job”. As someone who had the privilege of working with those experiencing homelessness for a number of years, I was able to see the other side. I didn’t just see “homelessness”. I saw people. Real people. Some of the most humble, grateful people. I got to hear their stories. I also had my life and perspectives changed because of my interactions, and it forever impacted my life and one of the reasons I am such a strong advocate for programs like housing first, sober living, drug treatment courts, among others, today.

As I finished my service and was leaving to get into my car, I thought “I should stop supporting her business as her thoughts about this population is quite negative and totally opposite from mine”. But I sat with it a bit further and came to a different conclusion.

If we only ever surround ourselves with people who think like us, act like us, and behave like us, where is the opportunity for learning or outside perspectives?

Don’t get me wrong, there are some strong boundaries we need to have and some things that are unacceptable (like racism), but I believe it’s important that we hear other people’s perspectives and their experiences. It doesn’t make them right (nor does it make us right), but it gives perspective and other ways of thinking and approaches to solving problems.

It’s something that is missing today and what’s creating so much polarization and divisiveness. Just look at the state of our world right now.

We don’t always have to agree, but we should at the very least, be able to listen to understand.