curajoy a production line of the same people 384db810 d9d5 4fad 8aff 5cc4b5109ef3 | curaJOY

Why can’t everybody just be more like me?

I recently just finally got to watching the Galaxy of the Guardian series with my daughters. And one of them asks why the character Ego wants to destroy everything and make plans after himself.  As parents, we often have to answer difficult questions on the spot.  I said, “Haven’t we all gone through moments where we think–if everyone in the world were more like me, life would be so much easier?”

In psychological terms,  this is called the theory of mind and refers to the ability to acknowledge different perspectives and know that your mindset might not be shared by those around you—and doesn’t need to be.  Theory of mind is an innate potential ability people may reach, to different effectiveness, over time by observing others and testing out their social assumptions.  This is a situation where variety IS really the spice of life, and exposure to different perspectives improves our personal and professional relationships.

I often recount earlier in my career in management when I suddenly realized I had hired a room full of people with my exact personality, zodiac, and even age range. And as human beings, we all gravitate toward those who are similar to us.  In our increasingly digital lives, it’s even easier to spiral into tunnel visions of pre-selected tribes–in fact, most advertisers and companies urge you to do so.  (i.e. You only have to show an interest in UFO conspiracy theory once before your social feeds start to flood with UFO sightings left and right.  And after a while, if you’re not careful, all your digital friends are also UFO-ers).  

Harvard Business Review has published a number of articles recently on the benefits of different perspectives and international working experiences.  While we may not all have the privilege of an international career or being a third culture kid, there are many ways to step outside of our comfort zones, including virtual volunteering.  curaJOY, a nonprofit for family emotional wellness that I’m leading, attracts a staggering number of qualified volunteers worldwide for that exact reason.  People are looking for a cause bigger than themselves and looking to interact with people from the other side of the world.

Discomforts, disagreements, and disappointments give us invaluable perspectives that act as balancing forces to bolster our social emotional skills and critical thinking for achieving our best in this world still ruled by old-fashion human relationships.  So embrace them.

Caitlyn Wang Avatar

Responses to “Why can’t everybody just be more like me?”

  1. binance code Avatar

    Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

  2. Создание учетной записи в binance Avatar

    Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!

  3. bonificación de registro en Binance Avatar

    Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.

  4. Bianca Shen Avatar
    Bianca Shen

    Wow, you unintentionally surrounded people with even the same zodiac as you? That’s impressive! I’ve always noticed that people tend to surround themselves with people who are similar to them, but I’ve never seen it to this extent!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Touched by what you read? Join the conversation!

  • The Newest Buzzword (Part 1)
    The Newest Buzzword (Part 1)

    This story takes place several months ago back when school was still on going. So I was sitting with my friends’ friend group (I say this because although I was friends with some of the guys on the table, most of them were just friends of my friends), when the subject of a certain girl…

    Read more >> about The Newest Buzzword (Part 1)

  • The Missing Middle
    The Missing Middle

    This July, during the launch of curaJOY’s Impact Fellowship, I had a sobering realization. These were some of the brightest high school and college students we had ever worked with—motivated, passionate, and full of ideas. Yet, many had never written a research paper. Few had been asked to conduct original investigations or engage in meaningful…

    Read more >> about The Missing Middle

  • Interns and Suffering
    Interns and Suffering

    Do you know the Salk Institute? It was founded by Jonas Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine. The Salk Institute has a paid internship called the Heithoff-Brody Summer Scholars, where high school students work as assistants in labs assigned to them based on their interests. I applied, and even got to the final rounds…

    Read more >> about Interns and Suffering