We live in a world of bubbles

We tend to hang out with people who are similar to us.

We tend to hang out with people who are similar to us.

In the physical world, our neighbourhoods and suburbs are made up of households within similar income brackets.

In the digital world, social media and search engines filter content based on what their algorithms predict we will relate to and engage with. The posts, videos and articles that you see are created by people who you probably agree with.

Socially, you will notice that most of your friends dress the same, talk the same and share a collective identity.

Politicians hang out with politicians and dress how politicians are expected to dress. Bankers dress like bankers and talk like bankers. The same goes for entrepreneurs, corporates, carpenters and artisans.

People with left-wing ideologies will gravitate towards other people with liberal views. The same goes for conservatives and others with traditionalist beliefs.

If you most of your friends have tattoos, I bet that you have a tattoo too…

There are feelings of safety, inclusion and freedom that comes from being with people who are similar to you. They aren’t going to threaten your identity and your beliefs. You can express your views without being shut down or criticised.

Unfortunately, this feeling of safety comes at a cost.

Our circles become echo chambers and filter bubbles. The more exposed we are to a single set of opinions and beliefs, the more likely we are to replicate them and the less likely we are to listen to people who contradict them.

We start singing the same tune, and we stop hearing everything else.

In effect, we start to believe that our bubbles are representative of society or how society should be. Neither of which is likely to be true.

If you want to step out of your bubble (you may not as it feels safer in there), seek out people who look different, speak differently, live differently and believe different things. Then listen with an as open mind as you can muster.

The result may be earth-shattering and enlightening at the same time.

Or it may not.

Do you agree with me or not? Am I missing anything? Is there a mistake?

Please leave a response and let me know.