Flashlight Edition: 1000 Books

On the value of our differences

Flashlight editions are short posts from thinkings, findings, and interesting subjects worth paying attention to. Delivered every wednsday.

When I read this quote from Andrei Tarkovski, I felt how much we could find opportunities to connect through the different meanings we create.

Imagine, each of us read one book, and then we talk about what we understand from that book; we will tell our stories with similarities and differences. We are amazed by finding similarities. It’s the representation of our common understandings. At the same time, we realize how much our understandings are different. It’s the representation of our diversity.

All of our similarities and differences in understanding a situation create the meaning of our relationships. Maybe, more than similarities, it’s our differences that can make meaningful relationships.

In work and life, we can construct a narrative with people we are connected to. What if instead of I say: “I try to understand you,” I say: “I’m curious about you?”

In trying to understand you, I imagine you as an object. It’s mechanical. But when I say I’m curious about you, it’s like a journey. It’s about discovery. It means we have more opportunities to connect. And this happens because you read your book and make the book yours, as well as I, read mine. We connect through interpretation from the books we have read.