Bursting Our Bubbles
I’m part of a small group at work that focuses on making our house inspection protocols read as clearly as possible for the clients.
We’re spread out across the country and submit our suggestions in a shared document. Then we get together every other month and agree on what the final version should look like.
When I was reviewing the submissions the other day, it struck me how differently the same thing was expressed depending on who wrote it. Someone used technical language, another one casual. One person explained things thoroughly, another one short and simple.
The texts weren’t good or bad, right or wrong. Just different. Human.
That’s what we human beings are. Different. We look different, we like a variety of things, and we have various ways to express ourselves.
It’s a beautiful thing, but it can also lead to misunderstandings when we forget that universal truth. We get stuck in our own tiny bubbles, perceiving the world only from our own perspective. A narrow-minded view of something far bigger than ourselves.
“He shouldn’t have said that. She should have done that. I’m honest, you overreact. They are wrong, we are right.”
Is that true? Yes, when viewed from one perspective. From another point of view, it’s no more true than the number 6 being a 9 from another angle. No argument will change that.
If we have the courage to burst our bubble, maybe we’ll gain new insights and a better understanding of the world we share. We may still disagree, but we’re not disagreeable.
It’s not always easy, but growth rarely is.