I was convinced that I could see my mother in a recently discovered picture of her great-great-grandmother. I was certain there was no other opinion. Without telling her what I thought, asked my daughter who she thought the woman in the picture resembled.
I was certain she would say “Grandma.” I was positive.
She didn’t.
And she rattled off the name of another family member. After thinking for a minute, I could see it. I was so set in my initial view that I was unable to see anything else.
Sometimes you need to hear a different perspective, listen to it, and contemplate it. In the end you may not agree with the alternate interpretation, but being challenged and thoughtfully considering the possibility there’s another interpretation besides yours is not harmful.
It is one of the best ways to avoid making incorrect interpretations or conclusions.
2 Responses
Definitely a good idea.
An excellent idea.
Also if you say a surname to someone they may interpret it as another name. Hayward and Heywood in my own family were an example when I was looking in a census.