As the Coronavirus spreads and threatens our normal lives, it can feel like living in a twisted, apocalyptic scenario. This pandemic represents uncharted territory. But using language like “should” and “supposed to” reveals the absurdity of life – there is no template for how life is meant to go, and the order of the universe has always been inherently chaotic.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a preconception is “an idea or opinion formed before enough information is available to form it correctly.”
Over the past year, I launched the Preconceived podcast, which examines how preconceptions shape our worldview. The podcast features interviews with a diverse range of people – yogis, wildlife filmmakers, doctors, Hiroshima survivors, and sommeliers among them. These conversations explore everything from tattoos to parenthood and love, revealing perspectives I never expected.
These interviews have prompted a lot of self-reflection about my own life and choices. Some of the insights have stuck with me – a leukemia survivor’s regret about wasted time, a young man’s perspective on living with an intellectual disability, and David Crombie’s wisdom: “Live simply, so that others may simply live.”
Reconciling our real experiences with the rapid pace of change requires us to acknowledge our preconceptions and expand our perspectives. Open-mindedness fosters personal growth, new outlooks cultivate empathy, and embracing change allows for self-reflection, love, and progress beyond what we previously thought possible.