How do you respond when someone rushes at you with demands, harsh words, or correction?
Jane Goodall broke all the rules when she began living in the wilds with chimps. Told she should number the chimps to remain scientific, she named them instead.. She saw how like us they are in testing where to sleep and caring for their young. One day she was gazing over a cliff and a rambunctious teenaged chimp charged her. A less empathic person would have panicked. Goodall knew he was a trickster. She turned to him and laughed. He stopped and laughed with her. (Chimp laughter sounds like scratchy breathing.) He charged her four more times, like a kid replaying a prank over and over. He never touched her.
How can we be more like Jane Goddall in responding to people who come at us? What if we are not so quick to react? What if we stand grounded and relaxed, consider where the person is coming from and what their intention is? What if we ask questions to expand our understanding?
The outcome is bound to be better whenever we seek to understand a person’s perspective before escalating a situation. This requires our own ability to pause instead of being on automatic. Imagine how badly it might have gone if Goodall had reacted, hit, or tried to restrain the rambunctious chimp.
Learning together,
RelationSmiths, Nancy and Sharon
This week’s challenge: Pause and be curious.
