About 14yrs ago, a young lady joined my dept. I was a junior manager then. She was punctual, intelligent & just odd. She had zero social skills. Didn't talk to anyone, wouldn't greet or respond to greetings. Many didn't get along with her. With time she became the "office gossip"
One day she took her "craze" too far and was deemed insubordinate to the HOD. She was sacked and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. A few weeks later we found out from a family member that she had been suffering from clinical depression triggered by abuse. She was a sick girl.
The knowledge of her mental health changed everything. Staff all of a sudden had a different perception of her. We wanted a do over so we can show love, empathy & kindness. But it was too late. Had we known what she was going through, our attitude towards her wldve been different
Such is the power of knowledge. No one ever gets to see both sides of the coin at once, we only get to see a piece or a side. Our POV and reactions to things and people is usually dependent on where we are standing. It doesn't make us right but it also doesn't mean we are wrong.
It's a mistake to think that people who are critical don't have a point or that those who are supportive are sycophants. People typically speak from the side of the coin they see & their experience while seeing it. The key is - acknowledge their view but show there's another side
When you do, you will find out that not only could you have a change of perspective by seeing things from the other side but that there are areas of convergence you can leverage on. After all, every coin has an edge aka "the third side". Without which it can't stand on its own.
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