Embracing Differences

Sometimes it feels like we live in an emotional tinderbox driven by issues related to race, gender, political party, religion, and a variety of other issues. Rather than getting caught up in all of this, we can take steps to prepare ourselves to handle the seemingly endless stream of negative emotions productively. The good news is that a daily mindfulness practice can help you defuse hostility, incivility, and other aggressive behavior in yourself and others.

How Does Mindfulness Help?

Mindfulness reduces aggressive behavior by counteracting rumination, which is the compulsion to focus on what's bothering us. It's not surprising to learn that ruminating increases anger and aggression in some people. Better work performance and better physical health are just two of the most significant benefits of managing your rumination. And, of course, we all know how our work impacts our home life. Mindfulness training to address workplace aggression will naturally buffer the spillover of workplace aggression into home life.

Reinforcing Negative Thoughts

We tend to expose ourselves to information and associate with people who share our worldview. It is a wonderfully comfortable place to be. It may feel like being wrapped in a nice warm blanket, helping us feel accepted and righteous in our views. Sometimes, it may also feel like the whole world shares our opinion. You are not alone in feeling this way. This is such a pervasive phenomenon that social psychologists have a name for it. They call it "living in an echo chamber." This feeling of comfort and familiarity is so strong that we reject anything we hear or see that is different from what we believe like a foreign antibody. We discount or negate this alternative view. And we may even react with moral outrage that someone could believe something different.

Learn to Keep an Open Mind

It's not that firmly believing in your views is wrong. However, being open to ideas and different opinions can lead to a more compassionate and kinder world. Our mindfulness practices help us recognize our biases and judgments and learn to take in unfiltered information. Opening our filters does not need to impact our beliefs. It merely allows us to view something from another person's perspective. It gives us options—that is, to continue to believe what we believe or to adapt our thinking.

We can take on a broader breadth of information by keeping an open mind. This may help us improve our decision-making or, at a very minimum, increase our level of empathy. Accepting that there are different ways to look at something doesn't mean you have to agree. Nor does it mean that you shouldn't share your views. It simply means to treat others with respect and kindness, even when we disagree.

Why not have the courage to listen to someone or even media with a different perspective than you? Don't look for only those things you agree with or convince someone you're right; instead, listen for understanding. You might learn something that will give you the courage to step outside your "echo chamber."