The Importance of Differing Perspectives

Monday, August 19, 2013

For quite some time, I’ve been contemplating democracy.  Without putting a lot of thought into it, I have always been a staunch supporter – and still am.  However, it wasn’t until the presidential election of 2012 that I began to take a closer look.

The partisan polarization of the 2012 election really opened my eyes in regards to the form of government (democratic republic) we have been blessed with for the past 226 years.  In so many ways, it has worked.  The checks and balances have been brilliant and when the three governmental branches can’t “check” themselves, the Supreme Court has pretty much come through.  Yes, I am aware of the maddening, painstakingly slow crawl in the area of civil rights and equality.  I recognize this to be one of the “hitches” in a democratic form of government.  We can’t move forward without at least 51% of the people onboard.  We have to wait for consciousness to evolve and our perspectives to diversify and upgrade. 

So back to the election of 2012…this election was incredibly disturbing for me.  First, the extremely polarized agendas of the major parties made it almost impossible to come from a centered or “unifying” position.  In the months leading up to the election, I found myself dealing with my own participation in the polarization.  I really worked at reining “me” in and coming from a higher perspective….one that can support diverse beliefs under the umbrella of freedom and equality.  (That took some doing!)  On the day of the election, I suddenly realized that no matter who won, 50% of the voters were going to be angry…some threatening to leave the country or even commit suicide!  Wow….  This realization was heartbreaking for me. 

Over the months since the election, I have pondered this heartbreaking realization and democracy.  Democracy in many ways has become a “winner takes all” operation.  Whichever political party ends up in the majority, sees their “win” as a permission slip to force their views on the “whole”.  Yet 50% are in disagreement.  My concern is if we don’t change our ways, we may see the tumbling of that which we have held so dear due to the unrest and divisiveness.

So….yesterday, I was chatting with a good friend of mine about the importance of differing perspectives.  When we listen to diverse perspectives, we can get a better picture of the “whole” of the situation or issue.  This reminds me of the story about the six blind men and the elephant.  Each man was in proximity to a different part of the elephant and each had a different perspective on what an elephant looked like.  One described the elephant as a “trunk”…another a foot…anotherthe tail…another an ear…another a shoulder….another the hindquarters.  Each was correct in describing their experience of the elephant yet none was correct in regard to the “whole” of the elephant.  To me, this is an example of the importance of different perspectives when discussing an issue.  Without listening to all the different perspectives, we can’t see the whole of the situation.  Therefore, we are less able to make the best decisions.

I read a couple of books in the past several months that also exemplify this idea for me.  One of the books was about John Adams and the other Thomas Jefferson.  These two founders were almost polar opposites in their philosophies at times.  As I saw “events” through the lenses of each man, I began to get a picture of what was really going on at the time.  The neutral truth of the event could be found in using the different perspectives.  Both were necessary to see the whole of the issue.

Winston Churchill was once quoted as saying, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”  From my contemplations over the last several months, I definitely understand this statement.  I’ve come to a conclusion that it isn’t the form of government that’s to blame for the polarization that threatens to rip us apart at times.  It’s just that it’s time to evolve our consciousness in how we use our form of government.  It’s time to move from “winner takes all”…”there isn’t enough”…”some are more worthy than others”…to something that comes from our unity, first… respecting the perspectives of all… and recognizing the importance of differing perspectives in finding solutions for the whole.  We’re evolving beyond life as a “football game” and moving into life as an “orchestra” where there’s a chair for everyone and each chair is needed for the advancement of our nation – as well as humanity.

As I have come to know myself, I know my perspectives are constantly evolving.  My hope is to align with that which supports freedom and equality, and therefore, the right to varying and disparate beliefs.  My desire is to move from competition to co-creation when it comes to solutions, and my wish is for each and every one of us to find happiness as we bring forth our own unique perspectives, gifts, talents and genius. 

In Unity and Love,

Karrie