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Part of growing up is learning that there are more viewpoints in the world than just our own. While we probably all realize that intellectually by now, it’s a different matter to actually remain aware of the implications AND apply that knowledge to our everyday lives. It’s just too easy to unconsciously assume that other people see things the same way we do.

Take a pretty innocuous example. Suppose we grow up in a family where there are lots of gifts at Christmastime — meaning that for us it’s normal to receive dozens of gifts for Christmas. We may hear others complain about the commercialization of Christmas, or talk about wanting to cut down on gifts, but we relate statements like that to our own life experiences and assume (without even thinking about it) that other people’s life experiences are similar.

But as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People states: “When we’re left to our own experiences, we suffer from a shortage of data.”

In the Christmas example, we almost certainly know that there are people who don’t celebrate Christmas. We know there are people who prefer fewer gifts. We know there are people who can’t afford them. But we don’t really KNOW these things as a part of our very beings, so we don’t operate from that wider perspective. In this example it’s not a big deal (unless you marry someone with a vastly different viewpoint) but for other things having a wider perspective is important. Very important.

Take finances. Your own experiences with managing money, budgeting, investing are not enough to go on. We can all benefit from both the positive and negative experiences of others, and we can use those experiences to learn and improve in our own lives. Don’t just base things off your own experience alone. Instead, actively seek out alternatives and investigate them in depth. Compare, contrast, and evaluate. Just being aware that there ARE different perspectives can provide opportunities for increased income, decreased losses, and better financial health. Most importantly, don’t assume that what’s “normal” for you is really normal (or even good).

For example, take my old IRA. What was “normal” for me was to leave it in the hands of a professional and just check now and then to see how it was doing compared to the market. I thought that was what most people did (and maybe it is). But because I thought that way, I didn’t bother to see if there might be a better alternative, or if the professional in charge of my fund had my best interests in mind, etc. I should instead have drawn on a variety of different experiences, evaluated them, and decided for myself if what was “normal” was really a good idea. I eventually did so, but I’d have been in better shape if I’d done so sooner.

The same kind of thing applies to taking out student loans, borrowing on credit cards, or buying a house. Look for alternatives, and realize that the world may not be like you. Get as much data as possible, and evaluate the experiences of others, and decide for yourself.

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