When people generalise they often don’t have the detail or they do but it won’t help their cause. So you need to dig for the detail. Ask the questions. Don’t get palmed off. Request the detail as they should want to share that with you if they are open minded.
Because life can be pretty full on, fast paced, full and exhausting, our brains naturally look for shortcuts. They want to use the least amount of energy and do the minimal amount of work.
For these reasons, it prefers shortcuts, generalisations, easy references and common phrases especially when they work with any biases we are holding.
We tend to use words from our work or industry, religion or culture. Doctors may use the term ‘stat’, office workers will ‘circle back’ and sportspeople get ‘in the zone’.
It is unlikely, or rare, to hear people using other groups’ words or terms. It’s hard to imagine an NBA coach telling his players to pass the ball to the point guard stat.
This helps explain why people that watch the same news channels or read similar newspapers, will see things similarly and speak the same.
Rather than think things through, and assess things in their own mind, the shortcut is to accept what they are hearing and seeing, summarise it in generalisations and pass it on. People in their group think will understand the summary terms and distill it further. Like the telephone game, the theme may remain similar but the actual details may get distorted.
Don’t let this happen to you. Think for yourself. Put the extra bit of work in, especially if you will get involved in a conversation. Also give people time and space to reflect and ask questions. Allow people to think, even if it’s different to you.
Spend energy on critical things. You only have so much energy in a day. Spend it wisely on things that you really care about or that will move the needle for you.
Look for unique opportunities or simply better situations and options than you have now. Create a curiosity mindset and an opportunity mindset so that your mind is always in search mode. You will find amazing things by training your mind in this way.
People in general have a tendency to agree or acquiesce to their tribe or community perception. Going against that view has historically seen you cast out from that section of society.
Consider Snowball in Animal Farm, the Truckers in Canada or people who appreciate law and order.
The leader will throw you out if they sniff any dissenting view, or they can create rules or expectations to follow which their knowing followers can use to sideline people with a diverse point of view.
Here we can reflect on The Ten Commandments, Laws and societal norms of the time. These allow people to shun others who don’t follow the chosen value path.
Everyday you make choices which require you to decide which is more important to you, the acceptance from your valued tribe or taking things a step closer to unity involving both sides, not just one side.
If you’re undertaking a big project, long hike or extended engagement, make sure you’re well supplied. It’s a very unfortunate situation if you run out of key supplies part way through your campaign.
Think supply chains and war. Without supply replenishment, you will die. Live and learn.
Mistakes will be made. Words will be spoken. Sometimes you’re on the wrong side of the debate. Know when it’s time to pack up and go.
Learn about history as it will help you understand the developing future. History can be seen in many different ways. How one interprets the past, through their own bias, will dictate the future they will see.
Writing helps you become more precise. Word selection is important. You can really develop a concept through writing notes about it. You can reflect back on those notes too.
You may want to adjust, amend or add to those notes. By dating the notes you can see what you thought at a given point in time.
Writing also requires thought so you are more likely to remember the key points when you write them down. Then when you review those written points they will enter your mind once again, helping to cement their place in your memory.
How quickly can we get into defending our position on a matter, when we may not have thought it through that much?
Did we do any research outside of our normal echo chamber? Was there any attempt at looking at it logically without the noise? Did we actively listen to opposing thoughts and try to find common ground?
Be mindful you’re not holding on to arguments because you would like them to be true more than they are actually true.
Most things can be agreed in the round, it’s just the percentages that we differ on. And sometimes those aren’t far apart either!
