I Don't Agree

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Friday, July 19, 2002
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I was having a conversation with a young man and he concluded with, "Don't you agree?" I didn't so I replied, "No." He was a taken back by that and started giving me reasons why I should agree with him. I listened and finally said I appreciated his opinion and could see where he was coming from, but I still didn't agree. He simply said, "Well if you don't agree with me, then we have nothing further to discuss."

It is too bad that he felt that way because when people don't agree that is when, in my opinion, they have the most to discuss. If we only have discussions with people who agree with us, we will never broaden our perspective.

I used to work for a manager who said if there were eight people on a team and they all agreed on everything, seven were redundant. Having different ideas and sharing those ideas is what the creative process is all about. If everyone agrees on everything, nothing new is ever going to be considered.

Coaching

Don't be afraid to disagree. Sharing new ideas is what brings about new concepts and causes paradigm shifts. If everyone thinks the same, then nothing new will ever happen. Diversity in thoughts and ideas is what creates new inventions and improvements.

Disagreeing doesn't have to be disagreeable. If we don't agree with someone, we can disagree in a positive way. We don't have to make the other person wrong simply because we don't agree with them. Everyone has a right to his or her opinion. If we don't agree we can simply share our opinion with them and leave it at that. My aim is never to change someone else's opinion. I strive to give them something new to add to what they already know. They can keep what they like and leave the rest or ignore me all together.

Are you will to disagree?

Daily Success Formula

Disagreeing + Sharing New Ideas = Growing Creative New Concepts

Quotes

"A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with." Kenneth A. Wells

"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress." Mahatma Gandhi

"Don't flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become. Except in cases of necessity, which are rare, leave your friend to learn unpleasant things from his enemies; they are ready enough to tell them." Oliver Wendell Holmes

"If a sufficient number of people who wanted to stop war really did gather together, they would first of all begin by making war upon those who disagreed with them. And it is still more certain that they would make war on people who also want to stop wars but in another way." Gurdjieff

"The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree but hold hands." Alexander Penney