There Can Be Two Right Answers

I had a conversation with my brother last week and I experienced something odd - We disagreed with so much certainty on a fact, and I only realized just now why that was. As part of my travels I’m driving from the Chicago airport to Milwaukee, and estimating the length of time it would take, Apple Maps told me it would take about 2 hours. When I was talking to my brother about it he said, “Oh that’s a short drive, I flew it and it only took 30 minutes. Should be like an hour drive."

Neither of us pressed the issue, but we both knew ourselves to be right. And we both were. You see, I was estimating the distance from the airport in South Chicago (Midway), and he was estimating from the airport in North Chicago (O'Hare). He didn’t have all the details, so he made a decision based on the facts he knew.

This is where awareness comes in, and it plays a key role in everything we do. With awareness we have more information to draw conclusions and make choices. If my brother were to have learned of our travel plans his frame of reference would have changed, and he would have seen how my estimate was just as right as his. Essentially, there were two right answers within the context of the conversation.

We can’t be naive to the fact that we see everything through our own perspective. While the example I gave was more objective and related to fact, this certainly applies to things that are subjective and a matter of opinion. The point being, if we don’t actively raise our awareness to the things around us, and pursue new perspectives, we will exist in the circle we already know. 

There’s not much growth to be found there, so let me ask you this question - What are you actively doing to add new perspective to your life?

If you’re in the US or Canada, text me at 949-799-0788 and I’ll send you daily prompts that help you get to know yourself better and build a more meaningful life every day. 

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