How do we live together in a diverse society, especially one that is divided by intractable issues? It cannot be done without tolerance. But pluralism is more than mere tolerance. It reflects a willingness to engage and understand.
The following one-minute video reflects a simple way to embody a pluralist approach in our difficult conversations. It should be clear from the video that pluralism does not mean settling for some fuzzy middle ground that obfuscates differences.
You very much want your perspective to be heard, respected and understood. What’s important is the way you go about it. You first demonstrate that you’re willing and able to hear, respect and understand the other person’s perspective. In so doing, you create a safer space for the other person to hear you, respect you and understand you without the sense of betraying themselves.
This video is a short excerpt from a conversation with Seth Zuihō Segall in praise of pluralism.
Does this mean that we should have this kind of conversation with everybody? Certainly not. In fact, doing so indiscriminately would only result in proving to yourself that this approach doesn’t work.
The idea is to proceed cautiously, the way you would proceed when you start training in a new sport. You need to stretch your comfort zone a little bit (otherwise there’s no training), but not so much that you get hurt.