When an opinion is expressed strongly, as an absolute
- I can feel it resonate when it matches my values.
- or
- I can feel the friction when it does not.
When an opinion is expressed weakly, it’s pretty much useless in this aspect.
I think, maybe it would be better if we would try x instead?
I won’t get this reaction, or if it does it will be very muted.
Another way to hide an opinion is Model: Leading Questions.
Shouldn't we do x instead?
Wouldn't x be a better approach?
All this uncertainty get’s in the way.
I often find myself doing that when I’m not feeling psychologically safe.
Environments where I feel safe, something interesting happens: I express an opinion strongly, when I’m not sure whether it matches my values. And it allows me to
- feel it resonate when it matches my values.
- or
- feel the friction when it does not.
Even expressing an opinion myself, helps me discover the same things!
With vague ideas it’s hard to tell, but once I express them clearly, it’s easy to tell! Expressing it towards someone works better than expressing it towards myself. When I’m alone, I can imagine me expressing that opinion towards someone else. But it works best when expressed to a person, in person, aloud.