Diversity is profound

For many years now, people have been saying that diversity is important. However, putting this into practice is much more difficult than one might think. When your values clash with someone else’s, you may understand intellectually that “there are different ways of thinking,” but somewhere in your heart, you feel that “something is not right.”

Depending on the situation, you may notice such feelings and feel a little depressed.

Accepting diversity is not just about “accepting” others. It is also about confronting your own sense of “rightness” and acknowledging that it is not the only correct answer. At that moment, your footing becomes unsteady. Some people may feel as if their sense of self is blurring.

However, it is precisely within such fluctuations that important questions are hidden.

For example:
“Why did I feel that way?”
“Where did I feel uncomfortable?”
“Where did that assumption come from?”

I feel that the only way to truly experience diversity is by questioning oneself.

Of course, you don’t need to understand everything. But whether or not you have the attitude of “I don’t understand, but I’ll try to learn” will make a big difference in the atmosphere of the relationship.

If you discard something because it is correct, your thinking will stop. But if you continue to ask questions, your imagination will be sparked.

Of course, it’s easier to spend time only with people who think the same way as you. It makes you feel secure. But within that security, your perspective and emotional range gradually shrink without you even noticing. It’s okay to clash with others sometimes. It’s okay to find it troublesome. Even so, try to face differences with an open heart.

Diversity is not just a nice idea. Even so, it is important to continue asking questions rather than seeking perfect understanding, as this is what connects people.

I think diversity is not the answer, but rather the question. How should we approach it? Perhaps this is an era in which each of us must continue to think about the answer in our own words and live with that question.