Awareness of Others as Relates to Conflict Resolution

"Before endeavoring to develop cultural knowledge and awareness about others, we must first uncover and examine personal social and cultural identities. Guided self-reflection allows us to better understand how social group memberships inform who we are." (www.tolerance.org)

The foundation of getting along with others is awareness of others. Each of us has his/her own impression of what is socially normal. Our impression is formed from the time we are born. Our environment is the biggest influencer upon our view of normal. That said, we mix with others who do not share the same norms and we are expected to live and work with them successfully. I often think of the old saying that one should not judge another until he/she has walked in his/her shoes. This awareness of others is key to getting along with others and resolving interpersonal conflicts. We must make every effort to explore the feelings of others. When we do this, we empower ourselves to understand another viewpoint. By seeing others from his/her own perspective, we can better understand why he/she feels the way he/she does. The key to successful relationships is awareness and consideration of others. No matter how convinced that we are that we are right about any given subject, we must accept that another person may see things through different glasses.