I’m Not the Only One - Who’s Right

Many of us mistake our perception of reality for reality itself. We assume our assessment is the most accurate, and anyone who sees things differently has simply got it wrong.

On the road, this becomes especially amusing: anyone driving slower than us is an idiot; anyone driving faster is a maniac.

The irony is that the “idiot” and the “maniac” may be equally convinced of their judgement. From behind their steering wheels, we qualify for one of those titles ourselves! Each of us becomes the standard against which everyone else is measured—and somehow, our own speed is always just right.

Perhaps wisdom begins when we stop treating our own speed as the measure of everyone else’s sanity. Our perspective may be valid without being complete, and disagreement does not automatically make the other person a fool.

Before passing judgement, we might ask: “What am I not seeing?” On the road, as in life, a little room for others—and a little doubt about ourselves—can prevent many collisions.