Respect the Difference
I was talking with Bruce, my friend and valued member of our Eagle Consulting team recently about the continued political polarization of the United States. He said, “When people with powerful agendas spread their rhetoric, it causes division instead of unity”. My wise friend continued, “If you look deeper, you can find that these agendas are many times driven by the desire for power, control and greed.”
We have forgotten that mutual respect does not mean complete agreement. In other words, I can disagree with you and offer respect to you. I don’t have to align with all of your views in order to treat you with kindness and care. That is the core of diversity. The goal should never be to make us all the same. The goal should be to acknowledge, respect and celebrate our differences.
The problem is that mutual respect and appreciation does not fit into the plan of those who are attempting to polarize our cultures. They need full compliance by their followers and intense hate for the “other side” in order to keep and increase their power over us.
I challenge you to think differently. Block out the noise of those who would divide us and remember that we each have a choice on how we treat others. Choose to offer respect to those who disagree with you, and you will make a difference.
Larry
Check out our latest episode on the Crossing the Line Podcast:
Larry's Keynote at the BuildIT Live Conference 2021
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