In coaching we learn about frames. The frame I am focusing on today is the one about Invalidation which DISEMPOWERS and Respect which EMPOWERS.
Here is an example:
Supposing I am from religion A. Of course I think religion A is the best and, I may be right then again, who am I to tell you religion A is better than religion B? The same goes for schools of thought, political views and different groups.
You definitely cannot stop yourself from having a personal bias towards the group you belong to. Even when you are of one sex, you sometimes think the opposite sex is NOT so good..
Sometimes you even begin to wonder. Why is it there is so much disagreement and so many people going around thinking they or their group or their school or their religion is the best?
Here is some food for thought:
The Quran says:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” AlHujurat 49:13 Yusof Ali translation
How does one get to know one another without respecting the others’ beleifs, opinions, customs , religions, views, schools of thought etc?
That is where respect comes in.
We respect the ‘other’ and out of that respect , we get ‘respect’. We then get dialogue, we then get interaction and, each will know the other. With a purity of the heart, the meeting of the minds, the meeting of the hearts will give birth to that which is better and bigger than either party.
So with that I leave you .
No more mine is better than yours, my God is better than yours, my views are better than yours.
Instead it is about sincere respect and out of this, dialogue begins and a true discussion, may WISDOM then be the winner!
Dr. Suriyakhatun 