June 7, 2017

A few flowers to brighten the day

Everyone fumbles.

An important reminder, from Leah Reich:

Empathizing with those who want to engage is a gift. It reminds me to listen and learn, to not assume I already know. It teaches me that not everything is for me, just as many things are for me that haven’t been for others. Empathizing has shown how to better question my assumptions and to quietly, constantly recalibrate my own perspective and worldview. It’s also forced me to be more patient with people, because I know that no matter how hard you work, recalibrating your understanding of the world around you is difficult. Everyone fumbles. Everyone has biases. Everyone has perspectives they can change. Even the best, smartest, kindest among us have terrible, even ignorant opinions. But that’s how to be human. At least, that’s how to be the kind of human I want to be: complicated, messy, open to change, willing to learn, ready to do better. Change means sometimes we’re going to get it right and sometimes we’re going to get it wrong. Change takes time.