Looking Outside of Ourselves

I just had an interesting discussion that lead me to write this latest blog post. A person I love and adore shared that her co-worker felt comfortable enough with her to share that he only accepts truths that directly affect him. She met him with no judgement and shared that a lot of people feel/think that way. I shared my curiosity about his plans to address this now that he has this insight, and a short debate ensued. Basically the debate boiled down to the concept that looking outside ourselves may be a personal priority of mine, but that I cannot assume it is a priority to others, nor should I impose my personal priorities onto anyone else.

As a therapist, I work really hard to NOT impose my beliefs onto others. I understand that what is good for me may not be good for someone else. My ultimate goal is to help my clients understand what works for THEM. I check my ego and my beliefs at the door. So being challenged to think about whether looking outside ourselves is a personal belief versus a universal truth, got me thinking. 

Gaining the ability to look outside of ourselves and our circumstances feels like it should be something that we ALL strive for. To me, it feels like something that is applicable universally. We have the choice to stay within our narrow view of the world or explore the immense beauty that surrounds us. That narrow view feels so limited and restrictive. It's like choosing to live in jail cell, when you have the option to be free. Why would you want to limit yourself? Why wouldn't I want to help people break free of that jail cell? I just don't see it as a personal priority, I see it as a necessity to move to a more enlightened state as a people. If we stay looking inward, I just don't see how we can collectively move forward. It's this thought process that leads me to encourage everyone to look outside themselves.

I do not want to live in a world full of people locked in. I want us all learning, listening, and understanding. When the majority of people do this, that is when we'll see real change in this world. I also believe that the majority of us are capable of looking outside ourselves, as long as there is not a personality/mood disorder or other impairment that directly affects this ability. 

So, what do you think? Am I right to encourage this or am I imposing my personal views on others?