Usually when I ask myself this question, it's in exasperation. I don't think I have ever asked, with joy and delight, "Ah, what is that person thinking!" It's always "What is that person thinking? How could they do this?"
Whether it's my boss's actions that seem to contradict her intentions, an actor making a choice that goes against the character I wrote, or a politician or public figure voicing an opinion that to me seems blatantly offensive, I often find myself saying out loud to no one "What are they thinking?"
But seriously... what are they thinking? What happens if, for a moment, we step into their shoes and try to see the world as they do? Can we justify what they have said? Or at least understand why they said it? What do we learn about our own opinions and choices when we view them through this new lens?
Take note of all the times you say to yourself "What are they thinking?" Each time you say it, take a moment and try to answer your own question. What happens? Try for a day. Try for a week. How does the world take shape when you see it from multiple viewpoints?
Whether it's my boss's actions that seem to contradict her intentions, an actor making a choice that goes against the character I wrote, or a politician or public figure voicing an opinion that to me seems blatantly offensive, I often find myself saying out loud to no one "What are they thinking?"
But seriously... what are they thinking? What happens if, for a moment, we step into their shoes and try to see the world as they do? Can we justify what they have said? Or at least understand why they said it? What do we learn about our own opinions and choices when we view them through this new lens?
Take note of all the times you say to yourself "What are they thinking?" Each time you say it, take a moment and try to answer your own question. What happens? Try for a day. Try for a week. How does the world take shape when you see it from multiple viewpoints?
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