It seems like a philosophical question, whether the glass is half empty or half full. It’s certainly not a practical question; from a mathematical point of view, both statements are equivalent. Some might consider the “half empty people” to be the pessimists. But that is also just a view without considering the context. What if my goal is not to fill the glass, but to get to the bottom of it? Then “half empty” actually sounds more positive than “half full”. My point is that in a lot of conversations, we often have a natural bias towards our own feelings and mindset at that particular time. And by doing that, we start making assumptions about the feelings, mindset and therefore also the intentions of the people we are talking to. That filter will remove a lot of useful information, up to even fully blinding us from a great idea or solution to our problem. Next time your counterpart has a different view, try to take a step back, or rather, try to step into the position of the other person and try to see the topic from their side. It won’t be easy at first, but don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not judgemental or condescending, but really trying to understand the underlying motivation, to a degree where the other point of view becomes logic.

“If your glass is half empty, try to learn from the people whose glass is half full.”

It does not mean you always have to concede, but only by fully understanding the other person’s reasoning, you can objectively decide and argue which vision is best to agree upon. Using this attitude, I have already learned a lot from and about my colleagues, and it helps me enlarge my toolbox and options for solving the next unexpected problem. How do you see the contents in your glass?