How to spend time with and truly try to understand someone whose world view and ideas are radically different from yours
"Viva la difference!"
How I did it: I was in the Starbucks. Some guy asked me what I was reading and we talked a bit. I asked him if I could sit at his table and he said sure.
He immediately started talking about religion and politics (awkward!) and I would simply ask open ended questions. It was interesting, though I now refer to him as "the psycho at the Starbucks".
Lessons & tips:
- Ask open-ended questions. Ask, "Why" and for details.
- Check every once in a while to see if you understand. What you heard the person saying may be different from what they intended.
- If someone says something that angers you, that may mean there's truth in it.
