Getting Outside Your Bubble

The Grasshopper reminded me years ago that new bubbles will burst into existence when you get outside your bubble.

That struck a chord with me.

And it got me thinking about how we form opinions.

How often do we take a position on something we know very little about . . . and then go looking for evidence to support what we've already decided?

It’s called, “Informing our opinions.”

And technically, I suppose, that’s what we do.The problem is, we're only visiting one side of the information buffet.

We're not looking to learn. We're looking to reinforce.

And that's a limitation.

Think about a successful coach, whether in sports or in life. A good coach doesn't simply help you build on your strengths. They also identify your weaknesses and help you improve them.

Because sooner or later, your shortcomings are going to show up.

The same is true of our opinions.

If I only seek out information that supports my position, I'm not becoming more informed. I'm becoming more entrenched and comfortable in what I already believe.

And comfort, in that situation, can be misleading.

It's a little like leaning on a lamppost.

Is a drunk leaning on the lamppost for illumination . . . or support?

And are we sometimes doing the same thing with our opinions?

Leaning on them for support rather than allowing them to illuminate what we may not know?

I suspect we are.

There's an old song called Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.

Well, when it comes to informing ourselves, we have a tendency to go looking for information in all the “right” places . . . at least, all the places that agree with us.

But if you want to understand something more completely, you have to be willing to look beyond your own bubble.

The best negotiators understand this.

Before they sit down to negotiate, they spend considerable time learning the other person's position. They want to understand what matters to them, what they need, and where their concerns lie.

Why?

Because understanding the other side gives them information they can't get by studying their own position.

And yet, defending our limitations has become something of a national—and global—pastime.

So here's my thought:

Instead of spending all our time informing our position, perhaps we could spend a little more time becoming informed.

That might require us to step outside our bubble now and then.

And who knows?

Perhaps new information will open our eyes . . . and make us say “nay” to our uninformed way. 

All the best,

John