“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” That’s a good rule to live by. But to understand someone, we need to hear their original opinion from themselves. Not filtered through increasingly biased media or shrill attention-seekers on social media.
I was out drinking a beer with a friend the other day. After he had left, I noticed three young Revolutionary Socialists with a stack of their newspaper. I sat down with them and had an interesting conversation about their view of the world.
I’ve also just read the new U.S. National Security Strategy – the original from the White House website. Interestingly, it is quite different from the reporting I had read previously.
To form an informed opinion, you need to read the originals. Don’t get your opinions pre-chewed.
P.S. This is Steven Covey’s 5th habit from his bestseller “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.”