Paradigm shifts happen when information comes to us that contradicts what we believe. If you’ve ever experienced one, it can be very scary.
The dictionary definition of a paradigm shift is “a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.” The key definitional word is “fundamental.” It’s something that changes you from the inside. It’s not like being told that you need to exercise more and then choosing to start a workout routine. You probably already know that exercise is good for you but you just hadn’t implemented that in your life yet. A paradigm shift hinges on learning some contradictory information to what you already believe and then deciding what to do with that new information.
I will give you a pop culture reference that just about everyone will understand. Darth Vader tells Luke, “I am your father.” Luke’s response says it all. “That’s not possible!” At that point, Luke had to deal with the new information. By the time of the next movie, Luke had a paradigm shift in what he believed about Darth Vader and how he behaved toward him. He experienced a fundamental change from wanting to kill Vader for the supposed death of his father and the death of Obi-Wan to thinking that Vader could be redeemed.
I started using that scenario because I thought it was a perfect example of a paradigm shift, but by the time I got done writing that paragraph, I realized that it pretty much sums up why I started to write this post. Americans are in need of a paradigm shift. For four years we watched as hatred from one side of the political spectrum ran rampant in cities across the states. Facebook and Twitter (especially) were lit up with vitriolic attacks on people just because they disagreed. Calls to assassinate the President and to lock up conservatives were a common cry. After the election, there were calls to put Trump voters into re-education camps. How is it possible to find common ground with anyone on the left under those circumstances?
I don’t have an answer, and even if I did have the answer, it wouldn’t fit in this post. All I can offer are some insights. Luke wanted to kill Darth Vader but ultimately found him to be redeemable. How does someone on the right find someone on the left redeemable, and vice versa? One side or both need a paradigm shift.
No one wants to hear that what they believe is a lie, but that’s the beginning of a paradigm shift. Your job is to find out which is the lie, what you believe, or what you’ve been told that contradicts your belief. It’s easier to say that you don’t want to hear it and just ignore the new information and continue to believe as you have. But someone who is searching for truth and wanting to find some common ground with those with whom they disagree will take that journey to discover which is true. And it’s important that we persuade our opponents to do the same and see if we come out on the same page.
Facts matter, and it seems that most of the vitriol is coming without facts. Make sure you have facts to back up what you believe before engaging with someone. And just maybe, in searching out those facts, you may have to have a paradigm shift and change what you believe. Once you are sure your beliefs line up with the facts, don’t just engage by sharing those facts. Someone who disagrees will most likely just disregard what you say anyway. Instead, ask them questions about what they believe and how they came to that conclusion. Ask them to provide facts for what they say. If they share something that contradicts your facts, share your facts and ask them to reconcile the difference. Make them defend their position with facts. If they can’t, then don’t gloat. Just point out that they can’t verify what they are saying. And who knows, maybe they will share something that makes you rethink things again.
We’re all in a stage of learning. The key to living harmoniously is to never stop learning. Somewhere in the learning, we can find agreement or at least compromise.
Keep learning and encourage others to do the same, and don’t fear a paradigm shift.
