With Harper Lee's new book 'Go Set a Watchman' at the top of the book bestsellers chart, I decided I would read the original, To Kill A Mockingbird, first published over fifty years ago. One of the quotes still fresh in my mind are the following wise words from Atticus Finch, a lawyer, to his two young children, Jem and Scout;
Harper Lee may have written these words over half a century ago, but I believe they still ring true today. We are often quick to judge others, about anything from their sexual orientation to their skin colour or ethnicity, and many of us are often quick to cast assumptions on others.
These wise words urge us to take a different approach, to employ empathy instead of casting assertions and pre-judging someone.
We have been gifted with incredible minds that allow us to think in an extraordinary way and, crucially, use our imagination. We can use this creative thinking to attempt to understand someone else, see their point of view and try to understand their perspective on a situation or circumstance. By doing this, we can attempt to establish their motives for performing a certain action or saying a certain thing, and then work with them and be more accepting of - and indeed celebrate them for being - who they are.
We are all incredibly different, and this is something we should certainly celebrate and cherish - I believe it is one of the things that makes our time on Planet Earth so enjoyable. But we can, all too often, struggle to understand others and those who are "different" often face discrimination and persecution. By, metaphorically of course, climbing inside someone else's skin and walking around in it, we can begin to understand and empathize with them more, making us more tolerant and compassionate towards them.
So next time you find yourself being prejudice or casting assertions about someone, try to see things through their eyes.
Image Credit - likesuccess.com
Article by Ben Wardle for Three Thinking.
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