The Rebbe, during a private meeting with Rabbi Shmuel Lew, shared a valuable lesson. Instead of directly challenging individuals, the Rebbe emphasized the importance of engaging with and challenging their ideas. This approach serves as a fundamental principle for preventing conflicts and finding common ground.
The idea is that when we encounter disagreements or differing viewpoints, it’s more productive to focus on discussing and challenging the ideas themselves rather than attributing negative motives to the individuals expressing those ideas. By avoiding personalizing conflicts and instead recognizing individuals as contributors of unique ideas, people don’t feel attacked, and there’s a greater potential for constructive discussions and solutions.
In essence, this approach encourages a mindset where conflicts are viewed as opportunities for dialogue and understanding, rather than as personal confrontations. It promotes a more collaborative and solution-oriented way of addressing differences, fostering a healthier and more productive environment for communication and problem-solving.
Use this poster to reinforce this concept as a daily reminder. The more we talk and think about this concept, the more it will become a usable skill.
Click here to check out these worksheets on challenging ideas instead of people.
