“What a small world” is an oft heard phrase used to describe anything from running into a friend far from home to discovering a group that shares your particular interests. In the first instance, the phrase conveys a sense of proximity that is paradoxical given the world and, in the second it denotes a social niche, a specialized group with shared interests. In both cases, the technology increasingly serves to tie people together, overcoming the barriers of physical distance and obscurity. William Ury, in his piece “Stay Open” for LifeByMe.com, advises us to be both resilient and present when faced with complexity.
Professor Ury explains that avoidance is one of the most common techniques people use to delay discussing a difficult issue. Rather than tackling the issue head-on, we often retreat back into the comfort of the shadows while our problem lingers and negatively affects our relations with our counterpart. To avoid this, William Ury tells us to move towards the issue, or , as he writes, “Paradoxically as I engage with a problem, getting closer to the issue, I feel safer and my heart feels lighter, because I know I’m not stepping aside from the issue, but am moving toward the cutting edge.”