“Don’t be a frog in the well”. That is how the saying goes. It means that one shouldn’t be a narrow minded person who simply refuses to see the bigger picture or the alternative truth just because it doesn’t match his beliefs.

The reason I’m writing this post is because for the past couple of weeks I have been meeting with a lot of people, both online and offline. And it amazes me at how common it is that people tend to stick to their own views without so much as a consideration for other people’s opinions. I was not expecting it to be this common to be completely honest and it left me taken aback with an urge to get this message out there.

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I believe that this world is like a poem. A poem can be interpreted in many ways by different readers. Similarly, each of us interprets the world differently. That is why we all have our own “world views”. And it is very important that it is this way. Imagine everyone having the same ideas. The world would be so boring and I wonder if we would be this advanced if that was the case.

So it’s nice to have your own personal set of opinions. So, where’s the problem? The problem occurs when people are not open to new ideas and differing opinions. For any productive discussion to take place between two people, they need to have open minds who are ready to accept the other person’s view without dismissing it as an unintelligible babble.

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It is vital that we expand our perspectives. The world is full of ideas that can be explored further by having a wider perspective. And there are never enough ideas. One can’t tell which idea could go on to change the human race for the better. 

So, if, instead of proving to one another that our ideas are better and the other one’s are squat, we could all hone a wider view points, and use all the brain power we have, we could come up with the most innovative and game changing ideas.

Advantages of expanding your perspective:

1. Greater Innovation

Where there are healthy discussions among people and different views are respected and weighed on a value basis, there is sure to be greater innovation. In such cases there is a synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

2. Increased Understanding

When you widen your perspective and start looking at things by stepping into the shoes of other people, you start to understand why they do what they do. Everyone has their own reasons to do what they do and how they live life. So changing how you think can vastly increase your understanding of people.

3. Better Leadership

As a leader, you are supposed to understand your employees. You need to understand their goals, dreams, aspirations, what motivates them, what demotivates them and a whole lot more. For that you need to see the world from their eyes. Only then can you build an environment where different people with different sets of characteristics can work together for the betterment of the organisation. And that makes you a good leader.

4. Better Relationships

When you are the type of person who knows and understands people and are easily able to share their world view if need be, you are going to have great relationships with everyone. Well, not everyone but almost everyone! People will respect you for being understanding and would seek you for help. In the process you’ll end up making some very good friends.

5. Increased Tolerance

Our world consists of so many people who are different from one another in every which way. There are so many religions, cultures, ethnicities and nationalities. What we do have in common is that we share the same world. 

And it is very important, as a human, to respect each others’ way of life and actually celebrate our differences. A wider perspective allows you to see that there is no one way to live a fulfilling life. And this will lead to an increased tolerance which is healthy for everybody.

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