Give Someone the Gift of Acknowledgment

"I can see why you would feel that way"... seems simple enough to say but that's not where a lot of conversations go naturally. Yes, we say we want to connect - to hear each other - but something clearly isn't working. What IS the problem? One could say ego, another would claim ignorance, others think it's a lack of empathy. I would say it's SELF. The strong, self-protecting ego cannot have us disagreed with, looking bad, sounding stupid, being wrong or NOT knowing. This is why the landscape of feelings is so slippery and grey. If you are not confident or incapable of seeing another's point of view for fear of any of the above, you will likely not be able to grow toward better understanding in your relationships. Growth comes from deep knowing that even if someone feels differently it doesn't make either of you wrong. Opening a heart opens the mind and a little willingness goes a long way.