NO ONE can see anything from the same point of view, as I see it....Why am I so certain about it? Because I know that no one can stand on the same point where I am standing, at least not while I am standing there....:) We are not on the same point and can never be on the 'same' point....Similar yes, but not the same!!! Because when you come to the same point, I would have moved from there and vice-versa......
This is what makes our simple life complex....We can never COMPLETELY understand the other person's point of view, it is not possible. We can at best come 'close' to understanding it...BUT what we can easily do is ACCEPT that everyone's point of view is valid for that person. Because it always is.....(this is one of the absolute truths) EVERYONE'S POINT OF VIEW IS ALWAYS VALID FOR THAT PERSON- but may not be so for another person!
Whatever we observe/ believe/ understand/ see is valid from our point of view in that moment....the moment we move from that point our view changes and the new view becomes valid for us. That's so simple to understand, UNLESS we become adamant that the view that I am seeing from my point is the ONLY VIEW and every one must see it the way I am seeing it.
This reminds me of our road journeys, when we stop to admire the view, but even when we stand on the same strip of land, different things attract us....and depending upon our respective position our view is slightly different...small children always see different things because they are shorter (closer to the ground) than us........
All our problems (personal, family, societal, world) emanate from the very fact that we not only don't honour the other person's point of view, but also remain convinced that his/ her point of view is wrong. We get irritated, 'Why can't s/he see what I can see so clearly?' well, s/he can't see what you are seeing, because s/he doesn't have the same point of view. Their view is different from yours and you too can't see their point of view......:))
Today, let us make this commitment to ourselves (for our own peace) that while expressing our own point of view (which we have the right to express), we will restrain from judging another person's point of view (which we have no right to do in the first place- it is trespassing). If we don't like the other person's point of view, the least we can do is say, 'I don't agree with what you are saying, but that's alright. We are different people, with different upbringing, different life-experiences, different challenges etc. etc.'.........Let us honour our differences amicably. Let us learn to disagree without being disagreeable!
This is what makes our simple life complex....We can never COMPLETELY understand the other person's point of view, it is not possible. We can at best come 'close' to understanding it...BUT what we can easily do is ACCEPT that everyone's point of view is valid for that person. Because it always is.....(this is one of the absolute truths) EVERYONE'S POINT OF VIEW IS ALWAYS VALID FOR THAT PERSON- but may not be so for another person!
Whatever we observe/ believe/ understand/ see is valid from our point of view in that moment....the moment we move from that point our view changes and the new view becomes valid for us. That's so simple to understand, UNLESS we become adamant that the view that I am seeing from my point is the ONLY VIEW and every one must see it the way I am seeing it.
This reminds me of our road journeys, when we stop to admire the view, but even when we stand on the same strip of land, different things attract us....and depending upon our respective position our view is slightly different...small children always see different things because they are shorter (closer to the ground) than us........
All our problems (personal, family, societal, world) emanate from the very fact that we not only don't honour the other person's point of view, but also remain convinced that his/ her point of view is wrong. We get irritated, 'Why can't s/he see what I can see so clearly?' well, s/he can't see what you are seeing, because s/he doesn't have the same point of view. Their view is different from yours and you too can't see their point of view......:))
Today, let us make this commitment to ourselves (for our own peace) that while expressing our own point of view (which we have the right to express), we will restrain from judging another person's point of view (which we have no right to do in the first place- it is trespassing). If we don't like the other person's point of view, the least we can do is say, 'I don't agree with what you are saying, but that's alright. We are different people, with different upbringing, different life-experiences, different challenges etc. etc.'.........Let us honour our differences amicably. Let us learn to disagree without being disagreeable!
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