You don’t need to agree, but you need to...

Have you ever been mad at someone for just not getting the point? Or they’re telling you something, and you’re  amazed by how clueless they sound?

Or someone gives you advice—like the classic “go to college or you’ll work at McDonald’s for the rest of your life”—and you’re just like, “Aha, sure…”

But in your head, you’re thinking, “Yeah, right… so I can end up like you with rend on my neck and 9-5?”

Or someone tells you to “niche down to make money and build a brand,” but you don’t  listen because you know they’re beginners.

It’s everywhere. You’re talking, and suddenly you’re arguing. Your parents are telling you things you know aren’t right, and you start saying things you didn’t even mean.

For me, every time my family talks about college, I just shut up and listen—most of the time.

I really don’t agree with most of the things  they’re saying, and all I want to do is tear their arguments apart and explain why this, this, and this just isn’t true.

But I never do—not because I’m scared(honestly I am a little) , but because I understand them.

For my parents, college was the only way to succeed in life.

Yes, times have changed. But am I going to scream in my 50-year-old parents’ faces that college isn’t the only way?

No. Because I understand them. I understand where they’re coming from.

And I get it—if you want to be a doctor, a teacher, or certain other professions, college is important. Great, even.

But it’s not the only path to success, and it’s not right for everyone.

I didn’t agree—but I understood.

And that makes a big difference.

It’s like that with most people. You don’t always have to agree. But try to understand why they’re saying what they’re saying.

That’s how you learn to see things from someone else’s perspective—and it helps you connect, give better advice, and become a better communicator… and a better human.