In life, it is easy to feel like you know everything. Even if you don’t actively believe you know every little detail about the universe, you probably feel like you stand on solid ground in regard to most of your beliefs. Unfortunately, as good as it is to be confident in what you think, it can be a prison rather than a pedestal. The experiences you live through teach you how to think, help you rationalize, and allow you to interpret the world. Unfortunately, they can also block you from understanding that the other 7.5 billion human beings on Earth have different experiences than you.
Recent events across America have illuminated just how big the disparities are between communities of people that live in the same states, on the same streets, and even in the same buildings. Look over these tips to see how you can be better about considering a different perspective.
Talk To Kids
No joke — the easiest way to get a fresh perspective on a complicated topic is by talking to a child. Little kids have a way of viewing the world in a very basic manner. This is because they have yet to have life experiences that sour, corrupt, boost, or conflate matters in their minds. Kids have a lot to say because all their thoughts are either new to them or else directly stolen from a favorite film or family member. “From the mouths of babes…” is a popular saying about the truth for a reason.
While you’re not going to learn the secret of enlightenment from your toddler nephew, you might discover that you are thinking about matters from a perspective that you shouldn’t. Be careful in how you approach topics with kids as well. Not only do you want to be specific with the language you use to describe more sensitive situations, you also want to make sure you don’t force your own thoughts on the matter toward the child and hold more influence in their mind on the topic than you intend.
Read and Read and Read
Want a new perspective? Read a book by someone who is nothing like you in terms of experience. If you grew up with people who look just like you, then the personality differences between you are somewhat superficial. Your stories and internal worlds will be different, of course, but you might not be able to think outside the box in the way you’d like. Instead, read books and stories from people who have had experiences that are not like your own. If you grew up in the suburbs of America, read books about growing up in cities around India.
When you read stories by and about people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, ages, and physical ability, you can start to see that your way of thinking is much more limited than you even knew. The more you scratch at the surface, the more you see that all humans, whether you agree with their opinions or not, have something to teach you about yourself, the world, and all of the big picture stuff.
Look at Pictures
Maybe the easiest way to start thinking in new ways is by reframing what you look at. If you’re a fan of photography, for example, you might spend a lot of time looking at pictures on sites like Pinterest or Tumblr. While the content of the photos is important, it is equally as crucial to know who took the picture. Following the work of people from different countries and of varying backgrounds can introduce you to images from perspectives that you might not otherwise have seen.
Thinking outside the box and exploring new ways of using your mind can be a long process. Take time to try different tactics and figure out how to think!