Assent vs Dissent
We love validation, don't we? To have someone agree with us can make us feel good about ourselves. Assent feels good.
But how valuable is it??
In my experience assent is nowhere near as valuable as dissent.
Dissent is where I learn most – from friends, the kids, colleagues, clients.
Being made to check and test my beliefs is a valuable exercise. It’s also rewarding for all concerned.
Assenters are little use to me; dissenters are worth their weight in gold.
If all I ever hear is assent, then I will have sanitised my network to the point of uselessness.
Could it be the same for you?
You'll find out more and be better for it than hearing the same old platitudes.
Financial Services, IT & Executive Recruitment Professional
2 周Totally agree. I was just talking about this exact point recently. Dare to step out of the echo chamber and see what others think. I value encountering the differences in the opinions of others as you say to test my beliefs. Sometimes it just reinforces what I believe, other times I adjust or realise I was actually wrong - and that's really important.