Or can we?
Can our perspectives be such that we all see the exact same thing in a different light, from a different angle or a different experience? Of course we can.
Remember the story of the 4 individuals who were blind folded and set around each side of an elephant? One reached out and felt a very large firm fleshy wall in front of them while the other felt tusks and a long cylindrical trunk while still another felt a large firm rump with a swishing tail. Each then stated their opinion of what an elephant looked like and they were all right…from their perspective.
How about giving them their sight back and letting them each meet with a different elephant within a closed room? As you see, from the photo at the top of the page, there could be elephants of all sizes resulting in summaries that elephants are 3 ft. tall and 200 pounds while others would contend that they are 10 ft. tall and well over 1000 pounds and from their experiences they’d all still be right.
But, would they be correct? Is being right, being correct?
Webster says, correct is to be free from error; in accordance with fact or truth.
If these observers were to meet together around a conference table to discuss their views and discoveries of exactly what an elephant is, would they be willing to confer and accept each others intelligence? Or, would they be so determined to be right that they would regard each other as imbeciles and idiots? Thus forsaking the opportunity to be correct.
How about you? Do you know any imbeciles or idiots? If so, receive and accept the intelligence they have to offer. Don’t settle for being right, strive to be correct.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:19
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Proverbs 19:20
Comments