Group Decision Tip: Reinterpretation
In principle, every story is an interpretation. The storyteller always gets to decide how the story gets told. You might call it “spin” or “take on it.” And every story can be reinterpreted by the players who are in it and by those who hear or learn about it.
Reinterpreting our stories allows us to rewrite history and that can be a good thing.
Changing or ignoring the facts is never wise but looking at the facts in new ways, from new points of view, allows us to learn and understand and make peace with the facts.
Practical Tip: When in pain or conflict, as an individual or as a group, try to look at what happened in a new way. Accept the facts but consider multiple interpretations, other ways to look at it. Discuss with others. Learn to tell the story differently.
Reinterpreting our stories can bring peace.
Craig, I bought your book for a particularly challenging group that I was facilitating. This suggestion of yours reminds me of that experience. For me, this suggests that there is a way to trust yourself to walk the fine line between descending into gossip in after discussions and using this as an opportunity for “reinterpreting” and making some sort of emotional sense of the experience. Thanks again for a wonderful point of view.
Josey