What do you do about people that don't make sense? Lately I've come up against a few people like that and I'm thinking about why and how that happens.
First of all, only some people will make sense to us, and those people are likely people who share in our experiences of life in some ways. Those that don't make sense are likely living in ways we haven't experienced or learned about in life. As educators, working in diverse teams, it was always interesting to discuss what children needed and to find that each of us understood some children better than others. That's why it was good to have diverse teaching teams--teams that represented many varied life experiences.
So, as I think about people that don't make sense, the first realization is that those people are living a very different life than me. Even if our lives look similar, our experiences are quite different. And as I think about these people who don't make sense, I realize that I've projected some of my reality on them rather than taking the time to listen, ask questions, and observe. I need to meet these folks with an open mind and heart to learn about who they are and what they love--to be there for them if they need me.
Earlier in life, with a much narrower mind, I remember thinking that there was one good way to live--this limited perspective held me back from enjoying the many diverse ways to live life. Had I been a bit more open minded, I could have experienced life from many more perspectives and experiences. It's not a good idea to close ourselves off to the great diversity of ways life presents itself.
So when people don't make sense, we can try to get to know them better. We can avail ourselves to them knowing that we may fit into their story or we may not.
Not everyone will make sense to us and similarly we won't make sense to everyone. That's the way life is. Onward.