Bilocation is a term used to describe a person’s being in two different places at the same time. Stories have been told about special human beings throughout history who have been able to accomplish this feat, but most who have not experienced it personally deny its possibility. Many people are wrapped up in either/or categorizations, i.e., “You’re either here or there, you can’t be in two places at once,” so for them, being in two places at once appears impossible. From a certain viewpoint, however, not only is bilocation possible, but it is also something that everyone can do.
In this moment, for instance, I am both here and there. To me, I am here; to you, I am there. Sound like sideways, run-around-kind-of-approach to twisting the actual definition of bilocation? It might be, but consider this: The place “here,” denotes my location; the place “there” also, and simultaneously accurately describes my location. From my perspective, I am here, from your perspective, I am there.
In every argument in which you engage, there is your side, and there is equally someone else’s side. As long as you attempt to make the argument an either/or, you will miss that it is also a both/and. Your perspective matters, but so too, does the one with whom you are arguing. The more you can convey that you genuinely and empathetically understand that person’s perspective, the more likely your own perspective will also be understood. The more your attempt is to feign understanding of another, however, the longer the delay and the less of a chance that your own perspective will ever be fully seen as well.
You are here and there; so too, is everyone else. When you understand this, your arguments might just change significantly….