Kay:
Welcome back Mentorship Questers, it is #ThoughtfulThursday here on the Mentorship Quest and it is January 28th. We have episode 279 for you with a really fun quote from someone you most likely know, the one and only Bono. Now Bono says, “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.”
Shi:
Oh, this has got layers here in this quote, and one that I know we can unpack here a little bit in the next five minutes as we talk about it. But the two primary concepts that jump out to me and probably to you as well is that we’re talking about community and connectedness, and we’re talking about boundaries and respect. I think that these are juxtaposed in a way that shows how much they actually really need each other.
Kay:
Well, I think there’s a lot of calls right now for unity. I’m very grateful for those who are changing the language from unity and equality to equity and inclusion because I think that kind of stands for more of what it is that we’re looking for. When we unite, we act as one. Now that’s a good thing, that can be really helpful, but there is also this beauty of diversity that happens when we respect the right to be different. Now, we’re not saying that we’re accepting everyone’s differences no matter what, no holds barred, but we’re accepting the fact that everyone has the right to be different even if we don’t agree with how that looks.
Shi:
This becomes one of those kinds of fundamental guiding beliefs. It’s this right to uniqueness, it’s this right to be different and it takes that flexibility of mind. If you tuned in earlier this week, you heard us talking about that. Having an open mind with the Albert Einstein concept. In the end, it’s crucial here when we approach those that are different. If you’re in a homogenous group aka everyone is the same as you, then it’s really easy to like everyone and say, (conceptually), “I accept things that are different.” But putting yourself into a group that has more diversity, that’s got different styles and flavors and types of humanity, (not just different clothing styles), different ethnicity styles, and cultural styles, can sometimes be more breadth than you’re ready for, and then, sometimes, trigger that tendency to close off. But if we believe in being united, no matter what, then we’re united in accepting differences, and having that be a layered approach helps us see how these interlock together.
Kay:
I love that you said, “if we can be united in accepting differences,” I think that’s a really beautiful sentiment. I think that when we don’t unite to accept each other’s differences, what we end up seeing are things like religious wars and race wars and people fighting against each other, literally just for the basis of being different. I don’t necessarily agree with organized religion, but we have lots of friends and people that we know and love that are steeped in organized religion and that’s okay and we love you. We love you, and we’re so grateful for those of you who are in our life, who do have that foundation of faith and staple. But if you are a Christian, or you are a Muslim, or you’re a Buddhist, we respect your right to be different even if we don’t necessarily agree with the doctrine.
Shi:
Boy, with the polarized political spectrum that we’re seeing across the world right now, it could certainly use a little bit more of this. Just to throw some numbers at you, you know racially diverse teams provide 35% better performance compared to their competitors and diverse teams are 87% better decision-makers than individuals. So, it’s nice in the moral philosophy of things to say that we should accept differences, but it’s also helpful for the bottom line. Let’s be honest, we’re in a capitalist society, but by accepting differences, it can be this even greater nation – just as Bono is telling us here. Because we’re seeing those capitalistic attributes being a result of it. But we’re also seeing that better humanity piece, the better relationship piece, and the better example for future generations which obviously pays in big dividends as well.
Kay:
Alrighty, gang. So, just as a reminder to this fantastic quote by Bono. He says, “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.”
Shi:
Alright, #ThoughtfulThursday today. Your quest is: We want you to partake in an exercise where you will tap into what makes you uniquely you. On a piece of paper, or in the notes on your phone, take five minutes to write down a few qualities that set you apart from the rest. When looking at your list, how do you think that you stack up? Do you embrace the qualities that make you different? Could accepting or enhancing any of these qualities that you’ve listed within your daily life help you to feel more authentically yourself? Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!
