Perspective

How often have we said, "I need some perspective?"
But what we probably mean is, "I need to you to validate my perspective."

At a recent conference that I went to, there was a lot of talk about perspectives. The collection of principals, teachers and school leaders there spanned over 6 states in all four directions of our country. Everyone came with their own baggage, issues and of course, perspective. There was a lot of talk about how enriching the conference was because of these multiple perspectives but in reality I have come away from it believing only more strongly in my own! And if each person had the same experience then enriching= validating my own ideas, doesn't it?

There were a few people at this conference who ran their own family-owned schools. This means that running the school is their bread and butter. For some reason, this elicited VERY strong responses from most in the audience. There was a lot of talk about how education is a social enterprise and how it should not be made into a commodity, how it is robbed of its purpose once it is commercialized, etc. We have all heard these arguments. What was interesting though was how as a result of this strong response from everyone (including the facilitator), I felt that one or two voices were completely marginalized in the group. This irked me no end.

Most adults seem to think that when you disagree with someone you then logically have the right to also change their mind.

So the next time you say that you are open to new perspectives, think very carefully, are you? And when you say "open" do you mean you welcome them because of the thrill you feel in then trying to change them?