Understanding Different Perspectives

Understanding Different Perspectives

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Families play a key role in helping young people develop the important skill of being able to see things from someone else’s perspective. Later in the newsletter, Mr Damian Davis relates a well-known story of how six blind men ‘saw’ an elephant. Each of us encounter elephants in our lives daily and develop different perspectives based on our experiences. There are wonderful ‘learning moments’ within families, friendship groups and our work relationships where we can pause to grasp the challenge to think from someone else’s perspective. Following Steven Covey’s advice to “seek first to understand” is a skill that can be learnt within the home and at school. Engagement with restorative practices at school is underpinned by the importance of being able to see things from another’s perspective. When we slow ourselves down to consider another person’s perspective, a new way often emerges that is better than previously held positions.

Valuing the perspective of others means we are respecting each person’s dignity and worth as part of God’s creation. By valuing perspectives, we are open to a new way that builds on the God given strengths of each person. 

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