Believe, deeply and truly, that you can learn something from every person you meet.

I’ve seen variations on this theme, but they usually involve what others can teach you, which I think puts the emphasis of learning on the wrong person. Some people are teachers whose role is to teach, most people are not. It’s up to us to learn from everyone, regardless.

It doesn’t mean you absolutely will learn something from every person you meet. It might take time, or the lesson might be hidden from sight or you won’t realize it until years later. But believing that you can learn something – that the potential exists and that you welcome it – is key to being a lifelong learner, and to lifelong growth.

Believe, deeply and truly, that you can learn something from every person you meet.

I recently met someone struggling with addiction. I learned that sitting down and maintaining eye contact, not just making eye contact but holding it without breaking, can make someone living a life full of labels and assumptions and judgment feel heard. Feel seen, and respected.

I learned that most people never looked him in the eyes, never shook his hand, never spent more than a few minutes talking to him. I learned that he never realized how much he needed someone to just sit there, and listen, and look him in the eyes while he shared his story.

I learned that he felt, for a moment, connected again to something he assumed was lost forever.

Believe, deeply and truly, that you can learn something from every person you meet.