Charles Darwin’s Theory
of Evolution is based on the fact that only the fittest of the species can
survive in this world. This has been proved true over the millennia as today
only the fittest of species have evolved. We humans have been trained to fight and
overcome every challenge we face, and find a solution to every problem. We do
not give up until we have all agreed on a solution. That’s how humans, one of
the weakest species, without any special powers have come to rule the world.
For us, a solution is the only way to progress & succeed!
But today, I, Anagha Vasista, am here to
propose a theory completely radical to what we have been wired & trained
for. What if we didn’t show up to every battle we’re invited to? What if we
didn’t jump into every argument that came our way daily? What if we picked our battles? What if we agreed to
disagree? We are not expected to agree
with everything others say or do and we can’t expect others to do so
either. But that doesn’t mean that we
have to argue and fight and use any possible means at our disposal to win &
defend our point! At times we just need
to accept that we are different people and may have a different perspective
& leave it at that. Agree to disagree.
Let me tell you a story…
A group of blind men heard
that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but
none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they decided
to seek it out. As they couldn’t see, they touched and felt various parts of
the elephant. The first person’s hand landed on the trunk, and he said
"This being is like a thick snake". To another person, whose hand reached
its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. To the next person, whose hand was upon
its leg, the elephant felt like a pillar or a tree-trunk. The man who placed
his hand upon its side said, "Elephant is a wall". Another who felt
its tail described it as a rope. The final person felt its tusk & stated
that the elephant is hard, smooth and like a spear. The blind men then discover
their disagreements and suspect the others to be not telling the truth and come
to blows. They argue pointlessly and cannot come to a conclusion.
But, with the proper
attitude, their different ways of perceiving reality could have actually become
a source of joy and discovery.
A wise man once said,” if you and I always think
alike, there is one of us too many.”
Instead of arguing and fighting until we
reach consensus, become curious. Ask the other person questions such that ‘what
makes you see it that way?’ It is
possible for two people to see and hear the same event and yet each has a
totally different experience of what actually took place. Everything we hear,
see or feel is processed and interpreted according to our past experiences.
Thus, we will all have different meanings & different versions of what
happened. It is important to stay true to ourselves and yet learn other’s
opinion in a calm and serene manner. If a battle is not between us and our
destiny, it’s simply a distraction.
Even in our daily life
as students, when my friends & I at school have group discussions, every
member of the team will have a different opinion on what should be done. We
argue & stick to our point but in the end, when the teacher comes up with a
plan of action, we all set our differences aside and work towards a common
goal. We still have our own opinions, but work together towards a single goal. We agree to disagree!
As Joel Osteen
fabulously said “We don’t have to fight every battle. We don’t have to respond
to every critic. We don’t have to be offended because of what others say. We
can rise above these things and soar.”
We always have the option to ‘agree to
disagree’ about some things.