This page was first published on the 25th of July, 2015 and last updated on the 2nd of May, 2017 by Patrick Carpen.
Often in life, getting people to see things from our perspective is critical to success. Sometimes, it is the only way forward. The fact remains that two people often look at the same thing and see two completely different things. This is because all people are different: unique in their own special ways.
It brings to mind a story that happened about ten years back as friend of mine and I were driving along the East Coast Highway. We were discussing business ideas for the country of Guyana. I had in mind to set up a factory that would make use of the vast coconut resources in the country of Guyana. Something along the lines of soap was ideal. The weather was cloudy and it created a beautiful atmosphere. During the conversation, I pointed to the thick stretches of coconut trees to our left, and I said to my friend with glee in my eyes “see…look at that!”
He turned to me, not understanding what I was getting at, and said “lots of rain coming, eh?”
I didn’t reply. From previous conversations and experiences, I knew that I was flogging a dead horse.
But what if I had written an essay trying to convince my friend of the importance of exploiting Guyana’s agricultural resources and potential? And what if I had explained my views on the abundant coconut resources. Perhaps my friend would have finally understood.
Good writers make use of persuasive essays to get their points across. Because two people who grew up on opposite sides of the fence of life often collaborate for important projects, the power to write and speak convincingly should not be underestimated.
Recently, a traveler from Australia, Aidan, and I decided to put our heads together and write a series of books on countries and traveling. We both had two different ideas. We were excited about the same thing, but from two different standpoints. I had to convince Aidan to see things through my lens. At the same time, I wouldn’t want to risk offending or turning him off – which could cause him to lose interest entirely on the project. And at the same time I needed to listen carefully to what Aidan had to say – with the possibility of subscribing to his views.
I wrote:
