Thierry Augustin gives some solid advice on how to deal with a difficult situation when you are presented with less than all the facts.
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Whenever we encounter an uncomfortable dilemma, we’d love to be “playing with a full deck” as it were. Having the bulk of the pertinent information (though preference would lean toward the entirety) gives us the foundation for in-depth analysis and ultimately the most pragmatic resolution. In an ideal world, evidence would be presented, scoured objectively, and a concise, mutually beneficial conclusion would be obtained. But that is rarely the case. Many times, you are forced to work through biased inferences, rigorously seeking the right questions while staving off a series of “natural progressions” that would generally inform anyone’s outlook on the particular situation (or so convinced by that very same bias). It proves to be quite difficult to keep an open mind when the concept map approach to logging and sorting incoming data seems to support only one end. Frankly, it can be overwhelming. What can you do?
Silence is Golden*
More like gold plated. There are few things more effective for deep thought than solitude. The issue with that is you only have yourself for a companion; your natural slants, attitudes, experiences, and reactions. The potential for confusion yielding bitterness, anger, or dejection increases, dare I say exponentially, in that vacuum. Not everything that glitters is…well, you get the idea. Be wary, even of yourself. It helps to have a Friend, in the truest sense of the word.
A Heart Issue
It’s been said that adversity introduces a man to himself. Instances of discomfort, discontent, and disillusionment demand a response from the very core of your being. It requires you to take inventory of what you value, to re-evaluate what you desire, to designate priorities. This is when the right questions are particularly crucial. You begin to ask yourself all the “why’s”: ‘Why is this affecting me?’ ‘Why is it important?’ ‘Why is closure necessary?’ and the like. You begin to see what was formerly hidden. These are the most vital discoveries. Face to face with yourself sans the facade, with head and heart aching, you can now begin the process of self-examination.
No pain, no gain.
Growth starts here.
By Thierry Augustin
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Photo: stevendepolo/Flickr