Not Knowing

In futures work, we aim to seek out and explore as many perspectives as we can find about our futures in the present. This immediately generates judgement...

This week I'm going to refer you to an article that I read during last week (see the end of the post for the link - that means, please read my little commentary first).

This article struck a chord with me because, while it's written by a meditation teacher, it is about not being judgmental of others when we have no idea of their background, their current situation, what they are dealing with, and why they might be responding in a particular way if they are in the same space as us.

In futures work, we aim to seek out and explore as many perspectives as we can find about our futures in the present. This immediately generates judgement that leads to us accepting some futures and rejecting others - before we actually explore all the possibilities that may by latent in the futures we reject. We just have to look and find those possibilities. If our innate judgement responses kick in, we won't look.

Now, I admit I am still very judgmental when I'm driving. The car is one space where I still call people morons and may even swear when they are speeding or going through red lights. I don't know if they are speeding or going through red lights to get to an emergency, or some critical event that has occurred. My brain tells me immediately that they are morons. Every time I do it now though, I recognise that I have used that word, accept that I've used it, and I tell myself I have to try harder next time. I know I shouldn't be judgmental, but it feels so right in the car! :) I am still seeking the sense of freedom in the car that the author writes about but I'm not sure I will ever find it.

The article I sharing is about not knowing. If we accept that we don't know why someone is doing something we don't accept, we can been to accept that it may not be a case of us right, them wrong. We've observed something that arouses something in us, but we can reject being judgmental as a response. We can accept that not knowing is okay. Of course, there are situations where this stance won't apply and events that cause harm to others in particular are just wrong.

In futures work though, we need to stop, accept that some futures that don't appeal to us or that we think will never happen are not impossible, just that we haven't given ourselves permission to take the time to explore them, the assumptions that underpin them, and why we don't accept them. Perhaps if we allow them into our thinking, some of our assumptions might change? Perhaps we can accept that we are not always right.

Anyway enjoy the post: Not Knowing. Leave a comment below. There are no silly comment in futures work.