Seth's Blog : Our worldview casts a shadow in the words that resonate

Our worldview casts a shadow in the words that resonate

One reason it's difficult to understand each other is that behind the words we use are the worldviews, the emotions and the beliefs we have before we even consider what's being said.

Before we get to right and wrong, good or bad, effective or ineffective, we begin with worldview.

They affect the way we choose a car, engage in a conversation or vote. These cultural and learned worldviews alter the way we see and hear and speak.

Words like: Fairness, change, interference, freedom, responsibility and opportunity trigger different reactions based on worldview. It's always easier to encourage action based on an existing worldview than it is to change that view.

The columns below don't line up for everyone (or anyone), but instead highlight different instincts on different axes on how each of us see the world in any given moment...

An all-powerful authority	Treat others as you'd want to be treated
Confidence, results, right now, right later	Exploration, truth, working toward perfect, always a little wrong
Self-respect, power, agency, taking space	Role awareness, dignity, giving space, flexibility
Deserve, entitled, keep	Share, distribute, invest
Effects	Side effects
Ends and means	Means and ends
Getting things done	Listening, speaking up and being heard
Patriotism, nationalism, the homeland	Community, ecology, the system
Power, authority, compliance, respect, status	Fairness, hope, justice, connection, healing
Profit-seeking	Public utility
Intuitive	Informed
Realism, denial	Optimism, pessimism
Rewards, incentives, victory, spoils	Equity, fairness and the alleviation of suffering
Urgency, triumph, security, impulse	Self control, long-term thinking, wisdom
Vengeance	Forgiveness
Zero-sum	Win-win

Once we understand the landscape that someone sees, we have an easier time using words and images to fill in that landscape, to create a story that they can hear and understand, and, perhaps, we can make change happen.