Reconciling Opposites

Real wisdom can be derived from studying ancient civilizations. This is a big part of my fascination with the Greek and Rome classics and why I study Latin. One construct that’s served as a meaningful force in my life is something called dialectic, also known as dialectical thinking. Simply put, dialectical thinking is a method of analysis that involves examining and reconciling opposing ideas or perspectives. Dialectical thinking acknowledges that reality is complex and multifaceted, and that many things have both good and bad components.

Although its origins are uncertain, this form of reasoning is often attributed to pre-Socratic philosophers. It later found meaningful application in the work of a few philosophers we’ve all heard of—Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

There are variants of what the term dialectic means and how it was used by the ancients, so forgive my use of the definition that best serves the purposes of this post. My characterization and reflection upon the concept of dialectic entails contemplation of a particular subject through reflection of two diametrically opposed perspectives and reasoning my way toward an acceptable resolution.  

We live in a society where polarization is becoming more pronounced, with people often finding themselves on opposite sides of difficult divides. All too often, two opposing sides no longer listen to each other, more concerned with digging in their heels than with discovering the truth. But, of course, there could be multiple valid viewpoints. This is where dialectical thinking can play a promising role.

Having a healthy degree of self-doubt is necessary to learn, grow, and succeed. We’re human, after all, and subject to too many cognitive errors and biases to list, many that we’re not even conscious of. Having the humility to embrace this fact—and the self-reflection to interrogate our thinking, however entrenched—leads to greater insights and better outcomes.

In my own thinking, I deliberately consider different and divergent viewpoints on a subject. Part of my work is playing the role of a professional deal maker—I have to align the interests of a number of parties, with varying stakes, to finance new businesses. I generally have a strong viewpoint, but to really excel at my job, I need to reconcile my perspective with the needs of others. Called “perspective taking” by researchers, I need to step into the shoes of others and understand their rationale. 

This gives me greater empathy and helps me find a more likely path to alignment—both vastly under-appreciated skills in business, as well as in life. When contemplating things like career choices, we should make it a point to create an argument for and against the different options. We should then challenge ourselves to fully embrace the different options and viewpoints and sit with the conflict between them.  

Sometimes we make a choice, go down a path, then recognize that an alternative path would have been more efficient or more fulfilling. Going through a dialectical thinking exercise of understanding those alternative paths enables us to more easily switch gears and embrace new, better choices. This is important, yes, but it’s just one benefit of this essential reasoning process. In my next post, I’ll touch on another key aspect of dialectic.