Perceptive differences colour how we view disputes

In every dispute, every party thinks they are in the right...until they allow themselves to understand the other party's viewpoint. Partly, this is due to the fact that different people view life through different perceptions, and hence two seemingly contradictory views may in fact be both correct, viewed from different perspectives.

Consider for a moment your own perceptive bias:

a. Do you consider yourself as highly independent, or interdependent? A highly independent person would view rights and wrongs from an individualistic viewpoint, but an interdependent person may consider it more in the context of society. Hence, as an individual, fundamental liberties may be important. From a societal perspective, one could perhaps understand how under certain circumstances, fundamental liberties may be justified to be suppressed for the greater good.

b. Do you consider objects in a focused manner, or are you in tune with the context as well? For example, when seeing a house, do you focus on the detailed renovation works of the house itself, or are you more attuned to the surrounding parks, houses and roads? A potential buyer focused on the condition of the house may agree to pay a higher price if his attention is drawn to the attractions in the neighbourhood. Conversely, a seller with pride in his neighbourhood may agree to sell at a lower price if his attention is directed to the actual conditions of the house he seeks to sell.

In other words, every genuine dispute arises from parties adopting different perspectives to view the same issue and incident. To reach common ground, the party with a panaromic viewpoint must be directed to zoom into specifics, and the party who notices the minutest detail must be directed to take a step back to see the bigger picture. Hopefully, after that, the pieces of the jigsaw will fit for both.

Hope never fails, right?

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If you have any questions or comments, drop me an e-mail at khenghoe@mycounsel.com.my.