How To Avoid Being Categorised By People
Ten years ago, I shared all of my opinions. I often got into trouble for them too. There was a need to share everything with people because, of course, I was right, and they were wrong. ‘If only people agreed with me, the world would be a better place’.
The trouble with this is that the reality you choose to live in is minimal. Your world-view is shut off to everything outside your narrow bandwidth.
Now I can say that nobody knows what I stand for, other than what I consciously choose to share through my work.
Aim To Understand Rather Than Win
The need to win is usually zero-sum, which means that an entity has to lose for one to win. Most people operate this same way with belief systems. The reality is that belief systems are worthless – they don’t mean anything other than the person who holds them and people who energise them somehow. They’re essentially a myth that leads a persons trajectory.
When we converse, high levels of consciousness aims to understand the position of the other. They don’t wait for the next chance to unload their belief systems. A person seeking wisdom understand there is more to gain through trying to understand than there is by telling people what they think is right.
The old saying – ‘2 ears, one mouth…. use them accordingly’ stands true.
Be An Open-Minded Skeptic
Be open to everybody’s positions, but know them for what they are. We all view the world through our biases. Some people have extraordinary ideas that we can learn and gain wisdom from. Most however, do not.
Open-minded skepticism gives you a flexible grounding to discern between truth and falsehood. It also buys you time – time being the greatest revealer in the Universe. Without taking a position immediately, you avoid being categorised by people as they have nowhere to place you.
Ask Questions
Questions are the answers.
Questions influence people. By asking people questions and taking an authentic curiosity in other positions, they will automatically begin to like you as a person. This isn’t necessarily about getting them to like you, but to avoid being categorised.
Asking questions, rather than giving answers, doesn’t allow anyone to put you into their pre-conceived boxes. You’re fluid and open to change. Questions make people think you’re like them because it keeps them talking and sharing their opinion.
So if you want to avoid being categorised by people, use the three tips above. It’s good fun too when people don’t know where you stand on things. The average mind needs positions for its identity. When you give this up, you gain an air of mystery which is very powerful.