Families may have similar experiences, but that doesn’t mean they are similar people. It’s important to remember that we were never put on this earth to be like each other. We need thinkers and doers, liberals and conservatives, artists and scientists, men and women, introverts and extroverts, beauty and brawn, and on and on.
Sometimes our ideas and views make us clash. This is understandable because we think and evaluate things differently. But the synergy of different modes of thought will help us find better answers to the problems we face. Sometimes the forcing together of cultures, when neither one is ready for it, does not always work although ‘hooray’ when it does! Real diversity is having different viewpoints and experiences to consider among people who respect each other, no matter who or what they are.
Diversity in a family is usually devoid of race and ethnicity issues. Diversity is more personality driven and rarely do children in a family have the same personality. Two points on that. First of all, parents must be careful to treat all children fairly, but not treat all of them the same because each child responds differently. The second point is this: for diversity to work, there must be cooperation!
I’d like to expand on the second point. Families come in all shapes and sizes. But regardless of their composition, the most successful families have balance. When everyone has the same characteristics, there may be no balance, no back and forth. On the other hand, when everyone has the different characteristics, there may be no cooperation.
Consider a family where every member thinks the same way, always critiquing those outside the family with whom they commonly disagree. They sympathize with each other constantly and provide excuses for failure within the family. Any possible lessons to be learned from outside criticism or failure will be nullified by coddling within the family. There are plenty of rules in cooperative families, stated or not, and new ideas are a threat. Individuals from highly cooperative-only families are usually not independent, nor are they contributors to society.
Now consider a family where everyone thinks differently without connecting. New ideas or opinions abound, sympathy is rare, and cooperation is very unlikely. Arguments are plentiful and encouragement is not. A diverse and uncooperative family will be chaotic! There are no rules. Individuals from diverse yet uncooperative families can be independent contributors to, or possibly a stain on, society.
The best family atmosphere is one where everyone can have independent thoughts while being listened to by those that may feel differently. This situation - of free speech and tolerance – are attributes that bring out the best in a country or a family! It allows for to both learning and/or correction. How else will we learn?
Diverse and Cooperative
A diverse yet cooperative family is the atmosphere we must encourage and strives towards, but we cannot force it to be such. It is not easy to do, but it can be easy to evaluate your family’s situation. How does your family work? Are you diverse, coddling, chaotic, cooperative, loving, honest, overly critical, forgiving, corrective, supportive, consistent, etc? Something to think about-something to help you achieve a more cohesive family.
#powerofdadhood
Sometimes our ideas and views make us clash. This is understandable because we think and evaluate things differently. But the synergy of different modes of thought will help us find better answers to the problems we face. Sometimes the forcing together of cultures, when neither one is ready for it, does not always work although ‘hooray’ when it does! Real diversity is having different viewpoints and experiences to consider among people who respect each other, no matter who or what they are.
Diversity in a family is usually devoid of race and ethnicity issues. Diversity is more personality driven and rarely do children in a family have the same personality. Two points on that. First of all, parents must be careful to treat all children fairly, but not treat all of them the same because each child responds differently. The second point is this: for diversity to work, there must be cooperation!
I’d like to expand on the second point. Families come in all shapes and sizes. But regardless of their composition, the most successful families have balance. When everyone has the same characteristics, there may be no balance, no back and forth. On the other hand, when everyone has the different characteristics, there may be no cooperation.
Consider a family where every member thinks the same way, always critiquing those outside the family with whom they commonly disagree. They sympathize with each other constantly and provide excuses for failure within the family. Any possible lessons to be learned from outside criticism or failure will be nullified by coddling within the family. There are plenty of rules in cooperative families, stated or not, and new ideas are a threat. Individuals from highly cooperative-only families are usually not independent, nor are they contributors to society.
Now consider a family where everyone thinks differently without connecting. New ideas or opinions abound, sympathy is rare, and cooperation is very unlikely. Arguments are plentiful and encouragement is not. A diverse and uncooperative family will be chaotic! There are no rules. Individuals from diverse yet uncooperative families can be independent contributors to, or possibly a stain on, society.
The best family atmosphere is one where everyone can have independent thoughts while being listened to by those that may feel differently. This situation - of free speech and tolerance – are attributes that bring out the best in a country or a family! It allows for to both learning and/or correction. How else will we learn?
Diverse and Cooperative
A diverse yet cooperative family is the atmosphere we must encourage and strives towards, but we cannot force it to be such. It is not easy to do, but it can be easy to evaluate your family’s situation. How does your family work? Are you diverse, coddling, chaotic, cooperative, loving, honest, overly critical, forgiving, corrective, supportive, consistent, etc? Something to think about-something to help you achieve a more cohesive family.
#powerofdadhood
