Even though we all live in the same outer world, everyone still lives in their own inner world; everyone has their own little bubble, if you like. That inner world is shaped by the way they’re wired, their experiences growing up, their life journey thus far, their interests, and so on. Two people who are living in the same area, maybe even interacting with each other or at least seeing each other regularly, can still have very different ideas about the world they live in, the way it’s going, and the way they want to see it go. That can result in a lot of miscommunications, misunderstandings, and altercations if they don’t realize that they’re seeing the world from their own perspectives without taking each other’s perspectives into account. Even if they realize that they’re seeing the same thing from two different perspectives, they don’t know why that is, which makes it very easy for one person to think badly of the other or for both of them to do that. If they took the time to get to know each other and find out why they see things the way they do, then they’d probably have much more respect for each other and be inclined to treat each other better.
That’s why it’s so important to start from the beginning instead of the end (as Simon Sinek talks about in Start With Why). Starting from “We disagree” as opposed to finding out what kind of life the other person has had and what has brought them to see things the way they do is a recipe for disaster. If you listen to someone else’s story, they’ll probably be willing to hear your story and learn why you see things the way you do. From there, you’ll likely find that neither of you want bad things to happen and for people to be worse off than they are; you both want good things to happen and for people to be better off even though you may disagree on how to best make that happen.
So go with someone into their bubble and see what it’s like in there. Spend some time with them and get to know them. If you do that, then you can open up your own bubble to them and invite them in so they can do the same with you. Neither of your bubbles will pop or merge to become one big bubble, but theirs might take on a few of your characteristics and yours might get some of theirs. You’ll both be better off for that interaction and will both have a little window into how someone else sees the world.