Everyone sees the world in their own special way. It's like having a superpower! But sometimes, it's good to listen and learn from friends who see things differently. When we all share, the world becomes a big, colorful puzzle that fits together!
Old Happy: “You have to figure it all out on your own.
New Happy: “We have to figure it all out together.”
No one sees the world the way that you do. It's one of your gifts. You have unique wisdom, unique ideas, and a unique understanding of the world.
At the same time, any one individual perspective is inevitably and perpetually limited. There is so much we cannot see, know, and understand; these individual limitations — accumulated over time into ideas, ideologies and institutions — can lead to division, violence, and suffering.
To prevent this, we need to recognize that other people's perspectives are a gift, too, providing us with information that is, quite simply, impossible to see on our own. Bringing diverse perspectives together is what builds a compassionate, just, happy world.
Many people instinctively view other people's worldviews as a threat to their own — but we can learn how to overcome this.
The next time that someone shares a different perspective with you, try saying these words to yourself: "This is a chance for me to learn more about how someone else sees the world." The reason that this intention works so well is that it grounds you in curiosity rather than judgment.
If we really want to love ourselves, and if we really want to love others, then we will stay curious about how we all see the world, and come together to blend it into a beautiful, layered perspective that includes all of us.