Don’t shout at the wind

Make your point, share your reasoning, and move on. Don’t spend time arguing with people that don’t listen. It’s like shouting at the wind.
I never expect everyone to agree with me. In fact, I thrive on being asked tough questions, challenging my current thinking, and seeking to improve my performance. Being challenged, embracing for the productive discomfort of self-reflection, and having an idea evolve are some of the great joys of working with really smart people. We have a wonderful team and an amazing community . . . no idea is above reproach. There isn’t a decision or process in our district that can’t be improved.
Keeping this in mind . . . we do deal with some people that simply refuse to listen. We deal with some people in our professional – and personal – lives that seem to renounce the use of reason. There are some individuals who refuse to press pause; we interact with some individuals who are uninterested in opposing viewpoints. These folks simply use emotion and repetition to repel any new viewpoints. 
When we encounter people that seem to be unwavering in their beliefs – and unwilling to listen to any reason – we must simply move on. Arguing with a wall – shouting at the wind – is a waste of time. We have too many important tasks, our time is too valuable, to try to stem the tide of people unwilling to listen.
As Thomas Paine reminds us, “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.”

One thought on “Don’t shout at the wind

  1. Excellent post. Engaging people in constructive dialogue is exciting–engaging people unwilling to listen is futile. As educators, we must model a collegial culture that values active listening and meaningful dialogue.

    Like

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