Whenever we have disagreements, or feel we know exactly what has to happen in a particular situation, let’s face it: do we actually know? We have friends and family members who are so convincing and passionate when it comes to sharing with us what they say or think should or should not happen. You know, those instances when you can’t help but believe what you are being told. After all, what would they have to gain from not telling you the real story? We didn’t even check the facts, just took it as truth and told someone else. Sometimes, we do that and then find out we had it all wrong.
The stories we ponder everyday (whether at work, home, on the internet, or on television), seem to be so real. We think they are cut and dry, but in most cases that just isn’t so. Although we have grown up conditioned to know there is more than one side to every story, (“your side” and “their side”), the one that seems to get lost most of the time is the “truth side.”
And, what about our children? It is just me, or do we have to be very specific when we ask them questions? Although they know exactly what we are getting at when we’re talking to them, they still seem to thrive on what we didn’t say so that their answers are what we want to hear.
So, how do we know (or better yet get to the real truth) for all those sides that seem to go with the story?
1. Remember that the truth is not always apparent.
2. Seek to truthfully want to know.
3. Check the sources.
4. Listen with your ears, and not with your heart.
5. Remove personal biases & stereotypes.
6. Ask questions. Probe.
7. Look for inconsistencies in what is being said.
8. Ask yourself it is fact or feeling.
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” Winston Churchill
Until Next Time, Be Sincere, Kind, and Intentional
By: Jackie Warner
Community Outreach Specialist
Email: thebridge.us@gmail.com
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