ABSTRACT

The position from which we view reality reveals just a tiny part of that reality. The world around us, and other people, show different aspects if we look at them from various and different points of view. Positioning oneself into the several positions of another person gives a glance at the inner world of that person. Taking the position of the other requires empathy. The emotional component of empathy is essential for getting to know someone else. The three-step scientific model might be useful for understanding the flexible changing of perspectives. This model illustrates how one can develop a counter-position that is different from the one they had assumed originally. Forming an opinion is ultimately a social process—it is a little ripple in the stream of various other opinions that can invalidate, supplement, or enrich our own opinion.