We are more the same than we are willing to accept

I interview Cam, a management consultant who specializes in Executive Coaching and Change Management, last Monday. I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn from Cam and I’m looking forward to sharing the interview with you. When I asked him about beliefs he takes into every new “change” assignment, he had a wonderful point to share.

He said we are more the same than we are willing to accept. There are a few differences but we tend to get obsessed with them. We tend to share the same needs and drives across religions, ethnicities, and nationalities.

I have often wondered if we are different at all. In my limited experience working across cultures, I’ve seen norms differ – e.g. Europeans go on long summer vacations, the Germanic cultures are typically on time, the Aussies prefer getting done with work by 5pm, etc., – but I’ve found the people to be driven by similar needs. Everyone, regardless of their culture, wants to be loved and appreciated. And everyone wants to live a happy and fulfilling life.

And, thanks to the internet, we can now connect with people who share our beliefs. I am constantly amazed at how often I’ve been able to find friends online who share a similar attitude towards life. Some of the most active commenters on this blog are people I’ve never met and yet people I’d love to go to lunch with.

The fact that can we can connect with people like us from all over the world is a privilege. We are all not that different and there are many like us. We just need to reach out and make these friends.

We might be alone in the paths we take. But we are far from alone in spirit and belief.

It is an uplifting thought.