It’s no longer black and white. We live in the gray.

“I am right, and they are wrong.”

It’s an easy way to simplify. I get it. But we are creating harm by this oversimplification. No longer is it left or right. Or right or wrong.

I understand — it’s a lot easier to blame than it is to reflect. And when we blame, we relieve ourselves of any responsibility, and it makes us feel good at the expense of another’s well being. And that’s where the problem lies. It creates resolution for ourselves, but only in a way that drives us further apart. Does anyone really have a friend they are close with that constantly blames them for the things that go wrong in their life. Do we tend to forget there is someone on the other side of the blame? And that they have a side to the story too?

When we dig in with our respective positions, refuse to give way, and point fingers as to how to change or fix it, we don’t create meaningful change. Rather we push each other farther apart.

I am not advocating for one side or the other. I am advocating for open mindedness. I am advocating for a different way of approaching problems in the world. Nothing is 100% wrong or right. Maybe it’s somewhere in between.

Before you jump to point the finger next time, try and put yourself in the mindset of that friend or that co-worker and understand their motivations. The more we do this, the more I think we uncover the fact that intentions in most cases are pure. It’s the perceptions we surround those intentions with that really cloud the picture.