Diversity Of Thought

Me and a book is a party.  Me and a book and a cup of coffee is an orgy.

-Robert Fripp

 

This is one of my favorite quotes and Robert Fripp is surely an introvert although his career has been spent in the extroverted world of rock music.  I thought of this quote yesterday after giving a Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator overview to some co-workers.  There is often disagreement among us and occasional conflict.  I hoped my presentation gave everyone a better idea of why we all think and act like we do.  My greater hope was that people saw how our differences can complement one another rather than be a source of conflict.  I am also reminded of a time I went to France and spent a week with people from twelve different countries and several different continents.  It was interesting to me how all the people came from different cultures but at the deep human level we were all the same.  The vast majority of people in this world all want the same things.  They want to live in peace and harmony.  They want to do honest work.  They want to take care of their families and get along with their neighbors.  They want to avoid suffering and they just want to be happy.  We are all human beings and we come in a variety of shapes and colors.  Some of us are introverts, while others are extroverts.  Some prefer to make decisions based on facts and data while some prefer to go with their intuition.  Many keep our societies flowing by following our rules and laws.  Some support this by making their judgments based on personal values.  A whole lot of people keep us on track by ensuring things have a beginning and an end.  Others go with the flow and adapt as needed.  Our world cannot survive by thinking one way or doing things one way.  Variety is the spice of life and diversity in thought makes it all work.