Have you ever experienced a situation where without getting to know you personally, a person already has a strong view of you?
Or where you draw conclusions of things or persons based on hearsay?
Pexel
I stumbled on one of Chimamanda Adichie's talk in TED on 'Single story'. I was marvelled. It gave insight to some unhealthy things we do which we might be unaware of or not.
Times have changed. Things are much better today than they were yesterday. Atleast with technology.
Show a people as one thing and that is what they become.
We tend to characterize those around us in groups just to make sense of a complex society. We assign character traits to people by reason of occupation, politics, geography, clothing, religion, vocabulary, terms of whatever else it is that makes easy our assessment.
It is true and happening today just as it did in time past and we all know it. One way or another, you might have been the subject of such assessment of the assessor even.
It even comes down to family. We take sides with the first story/person and do not bother to listen to the other because that is enough. Do you not think it is damaging to you, to me and to everyone else?
Growing up, we wrote people off based on what we heard from others who may never had come in contact with these people. It was mere rumors and faux stories passed down. Until I met, interacted and listened to them, I believed everything I was told.
Ever thought that maybe, just maybe, the counter to disassembling a false story is not a new story rather an assemblage of many stories as a start?
How do you feel when people had an opinion of you that is untrue?
Are you not tired of storiea that shock and thresh?
See, it rubs people of their dignity . It shows our difference ragher than uniqueness. Stories can be used to dispossess but stories can also be used to humanize. To Foster unity.
Everything I am and who I have become is from my life which is a makeup of different stories from different areas of my being. Learn to appreciate tolerance of race, religion and the beauty of simple things..
Look for the full story. All of the stories. Stop reading just the same headlines and repeating it. Lest it be likened to rumours.
Think of it. This might just be a little start to help us expand our thinking and perception of ourselves and of others as we walk the road to a better world.
Even in culture and politics, we would gain a lot of we hear more than the single story.
I know this person who never tries a thing because somehoe, a friend of his may have tried out that field and was unsuccessful.
It's always; this person has done it, it didn't work or it doesn't work that easily. And it irks me because there are so many persons who must have towed that path and were successful. It's always that one story do him and he gives up and paint that thing using the description by his friend.
Multiple perspectives equal a richer picture.
This made me think of the single stories other may have read of even heard of me before ever knowing me. As well as those I have of others. How we have missed out on the beautiful complexity of humanity because of how enamored we are by these single stories.
You're not without reasoning.
You're not ignorant. Stop acting like it.
It's all the stories or no story at all.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Good-day!