Someone once asked me “why do you always insist on taking the hard road?”
I replied “why do you assume I see two roads?”
~Unknown
Maybe it’s because I’m taking a philosophy course (which I don’t think that’s entirely why) or because I’m always curious or because I’m always open to other perspectives (not that I agree with those perspectives, but I don’t mind listening to them), but this quote appealed to me because why is it that we assume others can see two roads?
We hear it all the time “why do you always have to do it the hard way?” or “I guess he/she has to learn it the hard way?” And I understand that in some cases, with most people, there usually is an “easy” way. When we don’t listen to those who’ve gone through things before, like our parents. When we read instructions or understand things could be done differently but we chose to do it the hard way, but what if, for that person, there is only one road? Everyone is different. No two people learn exactly the same way so why do we assume there is always an easy road and a hard road?
Truth is, maybe we shouldn’t assume. Maybe that experience, even though it may be “the hard way” to some, is exactly the way it has to be done for us to learn. Maybe our easy road is a hard road for others. How presumptuous it is to assume there are always two roads.
While I believe that in some things there are two roads, this quotes has me thinking that perhaps it is better of me to assume that this is the exception and not the standard or at the very least that in some cases, in certain experiences, to other people there is only one road. (Hm, how very INTPer of me, *laughs*)