Occhiolism: How to Value Differing Perspectives

Occhiolism: How to Value Differing Perspectives

This word might sound weird, but we promise we didn’t make it up.

In fact, we first found “Occhiolism’ on Thoroughly Depressing Word of the Day. But we don’t find it depressing at all!

Here’s the original definition:

Occhiolism [aw-kee-oh-lih-zm] The awareness of the smallness of your perspective, by which you couldn’t possibly draw any complete conclusions about the world or the complexities of humanity; because although your life is an epic and unrepeatable anecdote, it still only has a sample size of one.

Does that sound inspiring or depressing to you?

We actually find this concept incredibly helpful in our conversations, collaborations, and relationships.

We define Occhiolism as the awareness of the smallness of your perspective that leads to a thirst for understanding.

That last part makes all the difference! By embracing the limits of our own understanding, we can get curious about other perspectives, understand the value of gathering more information, and reach a greater understanding of each other and the world.

So…why is Occhiolism important?

Occhiolism comes through for us in 3 main areas:

#1: Collaboration

One perspective is never enough. One work style, personality, or strength just doesn’t cut it. By putting several people in a group to solve a problem, we benefit from multiple views, complementary work styles, and a variety of strengths and experiences.

#2: Conversation

Understanding the limits of our perspective and appreciating other views opens us up to productive conversations where we can truly listen to and understand each other. (Though this doesn’t mean these conversations are always easy or conflict-free!)

#3: Clarity

Bringing together a variety of perspectives helps us achieve clarity. It’s like illuminating an object from all directions instead of just one so that we can see it from all angles.

When we have clarity, we can find the best solutions and the next right answers.

Occhiolism leads to effective solutions. That’s a big deal!

5 Tips for Using Occhiolism

So how can we make the most of Occhiolism to produce the most valuable collaborations?

Try these practices for more productive conversations and deeper learning:

#1: See the value of other perspectives, and seek them out.

Have conversations with different people. Listen to different podcasts, read a variety of books and articles, and vary your news sources. Nothing slows down progress or locks us in “us vs them” conflict like an echo chamber!

#2: Judgment is out, curiosity is in.

If you’re judging someone harshly for their point of view, you probably don’t understand it well enough. Practice getting curious when you don’t understand something, and remember, it’s okay to be wrong. (It’s also okay if you still disagree even after you do understand. The key here is respect, not to come around to their point of view if you don’t agree.)

#3: Seek understanding.

Ask lots of questions. Listen with the intention to understand, not just for an opportunity to make your next point. You’ll know you understand when you can explain the viewpoint back to the other person to their satisfaction, or even better than they can explain it themselves.

#4: Don’t get defensive.

We often fear being wrong, but this doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, it just means you have new information you can use to update your views. Practice reacting to being wrong with curiosity and a desire to learn, not defensiveness.

When you’re truly committed to finding the best answer, you don’t need to defend your side. It’s not about being right or wrong, it’s about clarity.

#4: Share your perspective as well.

All these different perspectives won’t do us much good if we don’t share them! Don’t be afraid to say “This is what I’m seeing,” and why.

We’re working toward the common goal of achieving collective clarity so we can find the best solutions together.

Two (or More) Heads Are Better Than One: We Need Each Other

Occhiolism opens us up to effective collaboration, true listening, and ego-free conversations. (Or at least as ego-free as you can get. We are humans, after all.)

When we are aware of the limits of our own understanding, we seek out other knowledge and perspectives so we can collaborate and accomplish more together than we ever could individually.

The Blind Men and the Elephant

Have you heard the parable of the blind men and the elephant? This is one of our favorite examples of occhiolism!

A group of blind men were walking together through the forest, when they came upon an elephant. Now, none of them had ever encountered an elephant before. They can’t see the animal, so they learn about it through touch.

One man touched the elephant’s trunk and exclaimed “It’s like a big snake!”

Another man touched the elephant’s ear and shouted “It’s like a large fan!”

A third man touched the elephant’s tusk and said “It’s like a smooth spear!”

This goes on as each man examines a part of the animal and declares it something different.

Different versions of the tale go in different directions. In some versions, the men start fighting because they think the others are lying to them. In another, a man who can see arrives and describes the whole elephant. In some versions, the men work together to understand the whole elephant better.

The point of the fable is that each of us has a different, but limited perspective. In order to really understand something, we need to collaborate to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

This is what Occhiolism is all about!

One Perspective is Never Enough

Occhiolism improves our relationships because it drives us to seek understanding. It helps us to be better collaborators because we understand how important it is to bring together diverse perspectives.

Do you appreciate other perspectives? How can different viewpoints help you see the world more clearly?

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