Disagreeing and Getting Along

“If it’s just our own voice we’re hearing all the time, we will not listen to each other,” Maho Shing.

Our world, our county, our states and even our cities have become a melting pot of thoughts and egos. We throw ideas out and wait for them to be shared, followed, and tagged or not. We offer opinions and hope they are taken. Our course of action is to influence and move the needle towards a better world than the one we came into. 

Being open to receiving from others does not mean we have to agree with them. It means we listen to them and are open to their ideas. Tribal myopia is so 20^th century.

Nature has always thrived to make things better, more efficient, and simpler. Our ancestors were forced to hunt and then subsequently harvest. We were always pushing to find a better way of co-existing on Earth yet with the growth of our communities we have forgotten how to deal with each other on an individual level. 

Now, however, our evolutionary trajectory is all about working together.  Our biggest obstacle is getting along through disagreeing.

“Productive disagreements begin with curiosity, not persuasion.” Adam Grant

So how do we evolve forward?

How do we pick up the pieces of broken promises, name calling, a graveyard of resentment and move on?

Plain and simple, we put our mouths on pause and open our ears. Yes, you heard me. We listen. 

• We throw a solution party and invite everyone, especially those we disagree with.
• We stop trying and start being, human as in personifying humility and humanity.
• We need to be quiet enough to hear other’s opinions. We need to be quiet enough to hear our own thoughts. We give advice as well as receive it. 

As an independent farmer, Sunflower, Periwinkle, and Daisy – the three queen bees I live with – have taught me to use honey as a calming agent and to breath slowly when that doesn’t work. Farming has also taught me to be patient when it comes to growth, because not all plants and people for that matter grow at the same rate, to encourage a diverse environment where all is heard, seen, and acknowledged because tending to others is empowering others and to allow pests and weeds to have their space to thrive because they make us all appreciate what we have that much more.