COULD YOU PROMISE NOT TO INTERRUPT?

We live in an increasingly polarised and divided world. We wish we didn't. We wish we were better at listening to each other, better at appreciating different points of view instead of deciding who's 'right' and who's 'wrong'.

At ABSTRAKTOLOGIE, we want to live in a world where people accept and celebrate our differences, rather than fear or hide them.

We don't live in that world. YET. But we are curious about how we could get closer to that world, which is why we will be reading 'The Promise that Changes Everything' a new book by Nancy Kline.

We were first introduced to Nancy Kline's 'Time to Think' philosophy by Sophie Stephenson of The Thinking Project. The impact was profound and re-reading 'Time to Think' in lockdown was one of the books which led to the creation of ABSTRAKTOLOGIE.

It also became the inspiration for our 'Listen and Think Well' collection.

When you become familiar with Nancy Kline's work, you realise how important listening is. It's the root of our ability to understand, appreciate and connect with each other.

It's also incredibly hard to listen well.

Harder still, to listen without interruption. And this habit of interruption becomes the central theme of Nancy Kline's new book. As Nancy describes it:

"Interruption diminishes us. It diminishes our thinking. This promise not to interrupt, this act of breathing free, is prodigious. It changes things. It offers ease in the face of uncertainty. It can stop things like hatred and start things like love. It rescues our meetings from vacuity, creates fabulous places to work, brings humanity to leadership and leadership to humanity."

Imagine that world. Where we generate love rather than hate, where work becomes a pleasurable and more meaningful experience. A world where we are led by connected humans, rather than polarising politicians.

That's a world we'd enjoy living in.

Curious to know more?

Read Nancy's article (and introduction to the book) from the Guardian here.