Other people's point of view

Everyone claims that they can see things from other people's point of view - and then become frustrated that other people do not believe the same things as them. Recent sociological changes are increasing the rate of fluidity in society: the traditional conformity ensured by location, family, class and profession is undermined by moving people around geographically, increasing the number of jobs that people have and the kind of work they do, increasing the range of people that everyone meets.

This acceleration could lead, on the one hand, to a greater appreciation of diversity. However, what seems to be happening is that this diversity means that everyone can find someone who supports their point of view, no matter how shallow or local. The traditional interactions that are forced on society by family ties, by church, by community and so on are gone so that there is greater freedom to create a personal identity and less pressure to ensure that this identity has merit. One result of this is that other people's point of view becomes more threatening, as if there is a small voice inside that wonders on the validity of how we see ourselves, how we have created our own point of view.