I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.
Today’s tip is to look at life through someone else’s eyes and see their perspective.
I try hard in my life to have empathy and understanding for other points of view. I realize when I have a belief or a strong opinion, it’s based on my world view and situation, which is inherently limited to my experience.
I know someone that is struggling in the world under the pandemic. They share some difficulties in their life, complain about some things, and find limited joy in the world. In many of our conversations, I don’t really understand why they see the world this way, but I am trying hard to listen to them, ask questions about how they experience things, and not offer advice or denigrate their views.
Slowly I’m appreciating that they see the world very differently and why they are having a hard time. I still don’t quite understand their view, but I do have empathy and understanding. More importantly, I can support my friend, even though I don’t understand.