“If you are trying to be more opinionated than you are empathetic, you are not living up to your full potential.” – Brianna Wiest

I stumbled upon this quote a couple days ago, and it resonated with me in a way that I can’t help but want to share.

It may seem like the time in which we’re currently living provokes messages like this, but I think the words spoken here would have been just as applicable ten, twenty, or a hundred years ago. What I like most about this statement, though, is that it doesn’t encourage us not to be opinionated–it doesn’t suggest that we shouldn’t be passionate, convicted individuals with a unique point of view and a voice to go with it. What Brianna Wiest does remind us is that these qualities only get us so far in the business of being human, and then we either have to learn how to navigate the world as fired-up, angry, possibly cynical creatures, or we have to rely on something else altogether to spark change. Enter empathy.

I won’t let myself go on too much of a rant, but I hope that you’ll come away with this: The skill of articulating a well-formed opinion is useful, but there’s no shortage of it; the ability to understand and step into the shoes of those with whom you disagree is a super power, and it’s a rare one. I’m not talking about “kill-em-with-kindness”, “I’m right, but I forgive you for being wrong” interactions. I’m talking about true vulnerability- a genuine desire to let your world be rocked, even wrecked, by someone else’s ideas and opinions.

If you try this once–really try it–and still can’t find it in yourself to be empathetic, let me know. I’ll have to rethink my point of view.