If you are involved in an argument or dispute, remember that nothing fuels conflict like loss of face. As a rule of thumb, therefore, work to protect the dignity of the other person, as well as looking after your own interests.
Saying you respect the other person is not enough, you have to demonstrate it. To demonstrate it you have to believe it, then perhaps they’ll be convinced of your sincerity.
Metaphorically, you might say, some people will stop to look in a mirror to see what they could learn, while others will hurry past it, in case they learn something.
A community is held together by shared interest and respect for other members. In this sense of community, people rally round ideas and aspirations in the hope of carrying both forward. Yet most of us pay only lip-service to the values of the communities we belong to, doing little or nothing to help them flourish.
On the other hand, there are those who are able to bring some passion to the game. They explore what they think and feel about who they are, where they fit in the grand scheme of things, their purpose, and what it all means to them.
Which one are you? A thermometer measures the ambient temperature of its milieu. It checks and reports. A thermostat on the other hand responds to its environment. It also checks, but then it makes little adjustments… it actually influences the environment. You might say that a thermometer is a rather passive receptor, and a thermostat […]