No one has a worldview like yours, no matter how much you have in common.  Your life experiences are unique, and the way you see the world is defined by the many moments of your life.  In this issue on worldviews, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of interacting with others who share worldviews similar to yours, and then we’ll look at the benefits and limitations of being with others who have worldviews different from yours.

 

When Your Worldview is Similar to Others

It’s so comfortable when you interact with others who have a similar worldview.  You feel safe, and have a fairly secure feeling that this is a person you can trust and with whom you empathize.  You can talk with this person peacefully on profound issues, and he or she will tend to reinforce your perspectives and beliefs.  If you need to make decisions with this person, you will tend to agree on life issues, making decision-making easier.  You tend to have similar expectations regarding relationships, values and other life factors, so you likely have a high level of compatibility on significant issues.

 

Although there are benefits to living with a person who has perspectives on the world similar to yours, you may find that by being with this person, your overall perspective on life is limited.  You are less likely to question your opinions, viewpoints and decisions, and your outlook may become narrow and rigid, discouraging you from being curious and from growing.  Although you may feel comfortable a lot of the time, you may be more like a bit lazy about reflecting on your ideas, unable or unwilling to face the fact that you are limiting yourself, becoming complacent and inflexible.  As you mature over time, you may begin to experience conflicts between your traditional viewpoints and what you are learning and experiencing from life’s lessons.  You may ignore this tension in order to maintain the image of self-satisfaction and confidence.

 

When Your Worldview is Different from Others

If you’re like most people, you don’t want to regularly invite conflict into your life.  When your worldview is different from those around you, you will frequently find yourself experiencing conflicts, both subtle and great.  You may find yourself quarreling with others, and if you’re not the type to argue, you may try to avoid others who see the world differently from you, just to avoid a disagreement.  Of course, avoiding another person can also create conflict.  You may be reluctant to work with others with different viewpoints because you distrust them:  how can that person possibly see the world in that way?  You may be reluctant to explore opinions, viewpoints, beliefs, and ideas, assuming that discussion will invite arguments.  Both of you probably spend a great deal of time trying to convince the other of the “incorrectness” of his or her views and the validity of your own perspectives.  You may already have experienced disagreements in decision-making, work ethics and work styles.

 

With these disadvantages in mind, why would you work with, never mind seek out, people who see the world differently than you do?  There are actually a number of reasons:

 

• You may discover the limitations of your own views.

• You may see that you actually share important views, such as respecting the right of others to see the world differently from yourself.

• You may experience that when you go underneath the broad perspectives, you actually have values in common.

• You have the opportunity to reflect on, substantiate and validate what you think.

• You’ll be able to build bridges with others who are different from you, and develop better work relationships.

• You may learn a great deal.

• You’ll develop the capacity to listen, share ideas, challenge and analyze your own perspectives and determine what makes sense for you.

 

Even though sharing your worldview with others may make you uncomfortable at times, and you may not have lots of people in your life with worldviews different from yours, you can discover the benefits of learning to live in a complex and diverse world.  But first you need to know that world a little better.  Sharing your worldview with others, whether their views are similar or different, is a wonderful way to better understand the world and the people who inhabit it.  The next issue will describe ways to explore worldviews by yourself and with others.

 

*I’m pleased to announce my partnership with Anita Vestal, PhD in developing Engaging Life Workshops.  Ask us about our new teleclasses offered this fall:  "Conflict from the Inside, Out"; "Transformative Life Choices"; and "Working Relationships at their Best."