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Dec 3, 2011

"Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in." --Alan Alda

Assuming Value Everywhere

"I noticed that there was one kid who no one was really talking to. He had a serious kind of disability, and some of the kids were kinda scared to approach him. So I went up and introduced myself. And you know what? He taught me some amazing dance moves!" Sharing his presence was a wonderful thing to do, in and of itself, but my 14-yr-old cousin's perspective was even more remarkable. We asked him, "What if he wasn't able to teach you anything? Would you still have done it?" "Well, everyone is good at something. You just have to listen long enough." A profound lesson coming from an early teen: Assume value everywhere. In orienting ourselves in this way, we take responsibility for tuning in to what others offer, and open ourselves to other perspectives. This thought-provoking piece, originally from Parabola Magazine, shares further.