The way you see things, you know you are right. And that's true, you are indeed right from your perspective. But when someone disagrees with you, they see things differently, and from their viewpoint they are also right.

But how can two contradictory things both be right? Simple! Here's how to change your life...

Business Card
Take a business card printed on one side only. Show the blank side to the person sitting opposite you. Ask them to describe exactly what they see, rather than what they know, and they'll say the card is blank.

But you're seeing the printed side, and so you're being equally truthful when you say the card is printed, not blank.

Yes, the description you come up with depends on your perspective! And since your viewpoint is different, your description is also different.

So even when what the two of you say is apparently contradictory, I'm right does NOT mean you are wrong. Everyone is right from the way they look at things.

Perspective is Limited
When you look at something from one angle, that always means you're not looking from another. At any one moment, perspective is always restricted, you don't have eyes in the back of your head and you can't see round corners.

Your current viewpoint forms part of your context, which encompasses your past, your present, and your future. Your context includes what you already know, and what you expect to happen, as well as your environment, upbringing, religious background, secular education, past and present relationships and experiences in life, etc. etc. Your context is unique, very limited, and drastically different to everybody else's.

Given their context, they may well be sincere when they say what they say, although they can also be sincerely mistaken. And so could you.

Aside. This helps explain why double-blind studies are more effective. Double-blind studies go some way to eliminating differences in context. Context always matters, and affects the result.

Being Right
Yet an argument denies the validity in both descriptions. Being right is irrelevant when you're trying to change your life. But how many people self sabotage by insisting they're right and therefore the other must be wrong? Your self sabotage mechanism sees being right as vital.

Yet this scenario indicates that being right has little to do with being effective. Different descriptions are right from different viewpoints, and hence will vary in their effectiveness.

Rather choose to be Effective
Being right will also stop you exploring another viewpoint that you'll judge as wrong. So being right is a barrier to becoming more effective, such self sabotage is a very common disease!

© Copyright worldwide Cris Baker, www.LifeStrategies.net All rights reserved. Republishing welcomed under Creative Commons noncommercial no derivatives license preserving all links intact, so please +1 and share this widely!

Food for Thought
“You can be sincere, and you can also be sincerely wrong.”

- Ruby Wiehman

Author's Bio: 

Cris Baker has much practice in overcoming adversity, he's been screwing things up for years! Why suffer the consequences of your own mistakes? Now you can benefit from real knowledge, crucial know-how gained from his vast experience with extensive pain and suffering!

You'll find enormous joy in overcoming your self sabotage; check out the many secrets of success at Life Strategies and discover how to change your life!