Let’s look at a specific situation from today’s sports news. How many of you have heard at least one person say that LeBron James made a mistake in choosing Miami? Because it’s in the news, perhaps people feel compelled to hold an opinion, but how many people really know much of anything about LeBron’s reasons and personal motivations? They can speculate all day long, but that’s just what they’re doing. Consequently, this devalues their judgment in the eyes of others.
我们来从今天的体育新闻中看一个具体的例子。你们有多少人听见至少一个人说LeBron James 在选择迈阿密时犯了错?因为这是在新闻里,或许人们觉得自己被迫持有意见,但有多少人真的非常了解LeBron的理由和个人动机呢?他们可以整天推测,但那就是他们现在正在做的事情。因此,这会让他人眼中关于他们的判断贬值。
Can you see how this same concept applies to the everyday issues you face?
你能看出这个观念是怎样适用于你每天面对的日常事务吗?
It’s natural to be influenced when we hear or read something—especially if it’s well presented, but it’s important to remember that you may not have the whole story. In the words of Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
当我们听到或读到一些事情时是很容易受到影响的——特别是如果它是非常精彩地呈现出时,但是牢记你可能没有读到整个故事是很重要的。正如Winston Churchill所说的,“在真相有机会穿上裤子之前,谎言也只绕着世界走了一半。”
Remember that it’s okay not to weigh in on every issue you’re confronted with. When you reserve your strongly held beliefs for the things that really matter to you, your opinions will carry more weight and your point of view will command greater respect.
记住,不用讨论每一件你正面临的事情。当你对重要的事情持有有力的意见时,你的建议会有更重的份量,你的观点也会得到更多的尊重。
Do People Stop to Listen to You?
人们会停下来,然后去听你所说的话吗?
In its day, E.F. Hutton was one of the most respected financial firms in the United States. Even those who didn’t follow the financial news knew the phrase, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.” The premise of this catchy advertising slogan was that E.F. Hutton had something of value to say when it came to investing money.
在那天,E.F. Hutton 是美国最受欢迎的金融公司之一。甚至那些不看金融新闻的人也知道这句话,“当E.F. Hutton 讲话时,人们会认真听。”这个引人注意的的广告口号的前提是,关于金钱投资, E.F. Hutton 的话很有价值。
This isn’t a farfetched notion at all. For example, I am personally very careful with the things I endorse and what I give credit to. I seldom take strong positions on things, especially if they’re not important to me. When I do take a strong position and have an opinion to share, it’s for something I know a lot about and am prepared to defend from every angle. As a result, I find that people really do stop to listen when I have something to say.
这完全不是一个牵强的观念。例如,我自己非常小心我背书和信任的东西。我很少对事物采取强有力的立场,特别是对我不重要的事情。当我站在一个强有力的立场,要与人分享我的观点时,我肯定是非常了解这件事,并准备好从各个角度去辩护。结果,我发现当我要说话的时候,人们真的会停下来听我说。
Become Someone Whose Opinion is Respected
做一个意见受到尊重的人
From this point forward, be intentional about forming beliefs and sharing your opinions. Make sure you have all the data on which to base your decisions. When addressing a conflict or challenge where people are involved, be sure to reserve your opinion until you have both sides of the story.
从这一点来看,信念的形成和观点的分享需要策划。确定你掌握所有形成你观点的资料。当你要解决冲突或者挑战别人的固有印象时,一定要保留你的观点直到你掌握了故事的两面。
“In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”
请记住:寻求真理的同时你会发现事物的两面性。