Suspension. . .

Suspending judgment and listening to another perspective helps us all in small and big ways – the end.

It is easier to interact with people who have the same opinions that you do. It is easier to stay in your own like minded silo. You may not have even considered thinking about things from another person’s perspective. Yet there are many benefits to understanding another person’s thoughts, motives, and emotions. Taking the other person’s perspective can help you reduce conflict and solve problems more effectively, while enlarging your view of yourself. To understand another’s perspective, you need to first set aside your own thoughts and feelings. This distancing from your own perspective is difficult to do because you probably often listen only to judge what you are hearing. You make assumptions and come to conclusions about the other person’s message without really hearing what that person is trying to tell you. So, try suspending judgment and open your eyes, ears, and heart to what the other person is saying. If you understand the other person’s point of view, you can tell that person what you understand. That person then feels heard and more willing to listen to your point of view. Considering other people’s points of view enlarges the way you see yourself. By intently listening to another person, you begin to see that person not just in terms of your previous stereotypes, but in their commonalities with you.