Siouxland Magazine - Volume 5 Issue 3

Siouxland Magazine | Conversing / 8
Diversity of Thought
By Dr. Julie Lohr
What
of
thought?
is
diversity
Our life experiences shape our ideas. Each
individual gathers perceptions based upon their
daily reality. Our culture, background, and unique
personalities form how we think. How we think and
interpret information influences our decisions in all
aspects of life, affecting the trajectory of our choices
in our education, religious and spiritual growth or
lack thereof, marriage and family planning, and our
careers.
Diversity of thought refers to the range of mindsets,
thought processes, and perspectives that can be found
throughout an area, region, or organization. When
researching diversity of thought, some opinions
centered on how beneficial, even integral, the
concept can be to maximize the potential and
productivity of teams. Other opinions felt that the
idea of the diversity of thought being promoted
within an organization was risky or problematic.
It was fascinating to read many different articles
for business hiring, team building, and employee
training that focused on all the positive attributes of
a work culture that prioritized creating a workplace
that valued diversity of thought. The companies that
bring people together who think differently from
one another can start difficult conversations and
create dialogue that stimulates new ideas and drives
efficiency.
That’s just the workplace. What about diversity
of thought in our community? In the media? In
our places of worship? In our schools? Within our
homes and families? Should diversity of thought
be something we strive for on our city council and
school board?
Is diversity of thought valued in our country? In the
last few years especially, conformity of thought was
the expectation. Strong feelings emerged during the
pandemic, with many Americans feeling polarized and
alienated from their neighbors. Family estrangement
became more commonplace due to opposing views
regarding masking, vaccination status, quarantine
rules, and social distancing. Why were these opposing
views held in such contempt?
Ideas that deviated from the commonly accepted
train of thought were scorned, quickly dismissed, and
even resulted in the societal character assassination
of the source.
Fear often prevents people from being open to
different ideas or diversity of thought.
“Diversity of thought is the idea
that people in a group don’t need
to look different or identify with
an underrepresented group in
order to bring varying, diverse
viewpoints to the table. While
this is technically true, it is a risky
concept to find comfort in.”
– Rebekah Bastian, Forbes, 2019