Everyone should read this
“In the process of attempting to unpack the moral dimension of our lives- to discover who we ought to be and what we ought to do-it is essential that we not just pay attention to and reflect upon individual experiences, isolated parts of these experiences, or even a single interpretation of these events. Instead, we must look to the whole of our experience, and we must be willing to ask any and all questions about it. To really understand what is actually going on we can’t just take a snapshot of one single incident, or accept one person’s report. We have to examine patterns and relationships thoroughly, look deeply into the essence of things, and investigate all relevant circumstances and consequences. And to understand the moral implications of our experiences we need to attend to a variety of perspectives. Thus we need to look at the breadth and depth of our experiences, to examine them from a number of points of view and to look at the experiences of others as well. Usually this sort of thorough examination must be a shared enterprise, one engaged in with other persons. In this way, hopefully, we can overcome the narrow biases of our own perspectives and benefit from the differing experiences and insights of many. By looking at the experience of others we attempt to understand the larger shape, implications and consequences of our choices and actions. In particular we do well to pay attention to the experiences and insights of those who are adversely affected by our choices and policies. We need to stand in their shoes and “walk around in their world” for a while.”- Connors & McCormick