Reality vs Ideology

This entry from Sharon Astyk at her blog Casaubon's Book highlights the difference between my approach to dealing with people and our collective relations versus someone who wants to impose their own version of the way things ought to be.

While I understand the desire to have things be a certain way and for people to act/behave a certain way, when you need to get things done this approach is not always the best way to get there.

More importantly, it fails to acknowledge reality, meaning that people are what they are and wishing them to be different is simply pissing in the wind. Not only that, imposing one's own view on others ignores the two-way street of being imposed upon. In other words, Do (or not do) to others what you would have others do (or not do) to you.

All human relations, in fact just about everything in life and nature, is about accommodation. We make adjustments in the way we deal with each other based on each person's uniqueness, idiosyncrasies, and quirks of personality as we encounter them in our interactions.

Sharon's post highlights exactly this point as the roles between her and Eric are changing as their circumstances change. Incorporating new knowledge is the hallmark of learning and adaptation is the hallmark of evolution. In the days to come I hope that humans get better at dealing with reality instead of continuing to impose their ideology on that reality.