Here's a snippet from today's For The Win Newsletter...if you like this and would like weekly insights straight to your inbox, be sure to sign up to my newsletter.
"It's not about right or wrong. It is 'Do you understand?!'"
Matthew McConaughey - Green Lights
There's a difference between trying to win an argument and simply trying to understand the other person's perspective.
Social media is overflowing with binary arguments, my Dad's bigger than your Dad type of thing. Often you'll see a thread that has degenerated into the social media version of a pissing contest with each person trying to win the argument but ultimately ending up with a bad case of splashback all over their hands and trousers!
In his book, Matthew McConaughey recounts a heated discussion that he's listening to before he weighs in with his opinion on who is right and wrong. At which point, the two people he thought were arguing turn on him and explain that it's not about who is right or wrong. They're not trying to win the argument, they are simply trying to figure out what the other person is saying and understand their point of view.
These days everyone seems to be shouting, everyone is trying to get one over on someone else, everyone wants to prove that they are right and the other person is wrong.
How about the next time you know that there's going to be a point of conflict, rather than think of it as a competition to be won, how about you just try to understand the other person's point of view?
No winners, no losers, just better understanding. ? ??
Source: Matthew McConaughey - Green Lights