Stop, Look and Listen

It has been another long and rough week. The only relief is that pellets of rain have finally decided to visit the scored earth of my beloved Philippines. Nearing days’ end, I recap what has happened and realized I have been confronted with many issues in my head. These issues have caused almost sleepless nights.  Issues that affect not only me but also others.  I reflect on my own thought process when I am faced with issues of great consequence.

There are at lease two sides to every story. When an issue is at hand, you can bet your ass that there is a “pro”(in favor)   and a “con”(unfavorable position) that  will always present it self. 

The most important thing is that you listen to both sides before making an informed decision. 

Every issue must be dissected. An issue must be examined from the inside and out, whichever which way you want , in order to get all the facts and opinions on the table.  Only when you get the opinions out of the way will you be able to weigh the merits of the facts at hand. 

First hand observation, while may be directly used to record facts, may not always be the truth. Remember, not all that you see is really what it seems.  Things can be hidden in plain sight. Things that may appear to be obvious may truly be the opposite if cleverly disguised to create willful  confusion. If you fall into the trap of relying purely on observations without correlations, you will develop a bad habit of  over-simplification.  You will always dismiss an issue with a premature conclusion.

An issue should always be tested for biases.  If you already have a bias or preconceived notion when an issue is presented, then your decision is already clouded with prejudice.  Remember, before making a decision, test the “issue” if it can tell a coherent story.  If you can’t get a coherent story out of an issue, you are probably biased already. 

How are biases developed? Two things. Maybe it was how you were brought up(nurture) or how you are genetically wired(nature). 

Not everything is what it seems.  The truck driver  that you always see in the morning picking up the garbage in your neighborhood can not be interpreted as a marginalized individual automatically. He might be temporarily be taking this job because he just moved from a war-torn province. He could also be a wealthy guy working his way up in the family business.  While the examples are quite extreme, it is the lesson of keeping an open and unbiased mind that is important. 

After you have examined both sides of an issue, learn to discern between opinion and facts. If your observations can be tested against bias, then you can make an informed decision.  After making a decision, whether pro or con, you are still entitled to change it. After all, we are all human, with faults of our own.  

If ever you find your self face-to-face with an issue that you already have a bias, remember the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi :  “ Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”

The light drizzle of rain, I consider  a blessing of this day, has stopped. It’s also time to stop thinking about the issues of the day and let both mind and body rest.. Tomorrow is another day, thank God for weekends.