June 17, 2014

We’re face to face having a conversation, or I hang up the phone, or finish reading the email, or the text, and I notice I feel disappointed. Because you didn’t respond the way I expected, or hoped, or wanted you to.

We’re not the same.

You don’t see what I see, think what I think, feel what I feel, understand what I understand.  You are uniquely you.  And If I remember that, I will allow you to be that, and I will stop being disappointed by it.  Maybe I’ll even benefit from it.  Because I’ll learn from you.

Socrates said:  “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for”.  I want to expand that. I want to learn not only from everyone else’s writings, but also from their behaviors, their ideas and opinions.  I want to appreciate and learn from our differences rather than be disappointed by them.  I’m thinking if I can do that, I’ll have a shot at true wisdom.

This idea fits elegantly with something else I’ve noticed.  I don’t need to enlighten you about you or enlighten you about me.  I need to enlighten me about me.  And one of the ways I can do that is to learn from you.

Much love,