Respect Doesn't Need Agreement

We usually start to persuade to reach agreement.

Yet, if we start with respect, it doesn’t require the persuasion.

Here is a situation:

You are at a holiday meal and a topic is raised.

Each starts defending their point of view.

There is a lot of back and forth talking,

And probably not so much listening.

Flip it around by dropping the inclination to persuade.

Just listen. Ask questions. Learn about their thinking.

Then share yours. Answer questions.

Discuss what is similar and what is different.

Then, ask more questions to increase understanding.

That is respect. It doesn’t need agreement.