Is there really an advantage to seeing multiple perspectives?

Question

We spend years centering on some position and warm-fuzzies want us to shift to seeing multiple sides to an issue.

<>http://concurrentconcepts.com>

Answer 1

it encourages empathy and openess.

Answer 2

Not when people have predetermined answers.

Answer 3

It&#039;s to your advantage to have other people&#039;s opinions or perspectives. That&#039;s what board meetings are about in large corporations, everyone says their piece and thus a better understanding of the problem, whatever, ensues. Also, they say it&#039;s advisable to have a second opinion when you&#039;re faced with a serious medical situation such as to operate or not to operate.

Just my thoughts.

Answer 4

Yes. Even if you only apply it to close people. If you can glimpse someone Else&#039;s understanding/perspective it shows a respect for that point of view. You don&#039;t always  have to agree, but be understanding by looking at another angle. It&#039;s helped me with my friends, my boss and co workers as well as family. They have also had more open mindedness with my opinions when their not shared.

Answer 5

Yes. If you only see one solution to a problem you may be missing out on an even better, more reliable, quicker and safer solution. This idea can be extended to areas of belief, and political policies.

Answer 6

I think it keeps you open to  new things and experiences. Usually you are simply not as judgemental of a person. That&#039;s always a plus. However, It&#039;s best to think more about the positive side of things because if you focus too much on what you don&#039;t want it will naturally come to you. It&#039;s good to be mindful and aware, but not into a bad state of mind brought on by  all the negativity in the world.

Answer 7

i believe that seeing multiple perspectives helps us understand other parts of the problem, or maybe find the problem in our own solutions.

we need to see things through other people&#039;s perspectives to be able to understand more about whatever the issue is. whether it is an argument over what to eat, or about whether global warming is true or not, seeing both (or more) sides of the argument will help you see the better choice because you know more about the problem.

Answer 8

Yes, I try to do it all the time. It allows you to understand a person better (and helps you to avoid insulting them). Maybe Gordon Brown should try and open what&#039;s left of his mind to it.

Answer 9

It is better than being prejudiced and frozen in our dependency unable to tolerate our feelings of cognitive dissonance when something contradicts a belief we hold dear. Is self born from self and all is genetic or does difference in sense experience differentiate. Taking action in advance is one way to satify one of the safety needs.

http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/mot...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_d...

&#039;In psychology, cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling or stress caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a fundamental cognitive drive to reduce this dissonance by modifying an existing belief, or rejecting one of the contradictory ideas.&#039;

Answer 10

In junior school the teacher would ask his wards their opinion on a given topic, for or against. Separating the class into the two groups of opinion, he asked that all argue the oppositions view, and whosoever debated effectively would win.

This exercise taught us to multi faceted thought processes training our brains to see all perspective and reach informed decisions. It’s an excellent lesson is complete rationality.

Answer 11

Ever since the advent of the information super highway now called  internet back in the early 90’s information has been easy to get. Along with it, we can access the whole spectrum of differing views. Some valid, some bogus, and we decide which is best.

Reading about other points of view sometimes sheds light on areas that you thought were exclusively closed. And because of this type of event, other perspectives can give us a glimpse into the other side, which is a little darker, more shaded, and veiled. When we discover hidden truths, we become more informed and less ignorant.

Answer 12

I believe this is a trick question, I mean, of course. In this complicated world, how could we only look at one perspective and it be true for all? In Sociology, there are some perspectives I don&#039;t follow but there appears to be a small truth in each one. By understanding these small bits of truth, you see the big picture. If you only see one or even two, you only see a small part. But then again, for some, that&#039;s all they want to see. Some people refuse to even try and understand the &#039;other&#039; because they need someone to blame or hate. It&#039;s rather sad and extremely ignorant, but it&#039;s true.