The Other Side of the River

There's a humorous, apocryphal story about a man standing by a river. On the opposite bank, a woman calls out, "How do I get to the other side of the river?" The man replies, "YOU ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER!"

How often do our conversations mirror this twist in perspective? We tend to assume that the person across from us has the same perspective we do, and we become confused or bewildered when they suddenly voice their disagreement. The more we can come to a conversation assuming others have differences of opinion, thought, and perspective, the far more likely we will be able to have enjoyable and meaningful conversations.