To Value the Cognitive Diversity

The cognitive diversity is a blessing made by ALLAH for us. Imagine a world full of similar thinking and doing people, bad with bad, hate in the reflection of hate. Life will not only be boring but we won’t get flexibility and effective working solutions.

Let's meet Rita who has difficulty managing with her family as she thinks she is very different than her family members. She is a working professional with no issues coping with colleagues. She belongs to a well educated family, her 2 brothers are successful in professional fields, one sister who is stay home full time mom of 2 beautiful kids.

But Rita thinks that her family doesn't match her at all. She has a problem with mental caliber of siblings. Parents are aged so being old school is okay for them, but siblings? She thinks her sister is a total failure so she got divorced and now just sitting at home. The brothers are way too simple to understand even a good joke.

We usually read about diversity at workplace, but are family members not diverse. They actually are. With respect to cognitive diversity, we get to see siblings with no similarities among them at many times.

Unfortunately despite of knowing the family unit is the most important unit of society, we don't work on these closest relations. Good news is that presence of thought diversity doesn't mean "no Love", it should actually mean the opposite but how?

Rita's all family evenings end on bitter taste, sometimes with her taunts and resulting fight with sister, other times at cold looks. At times, she seriously thinks that she may be the adopted one in family.

This keep on happening until she met Maria. Rita likes the friendly and soft nature of her new work friend. Soon they become closer. At the occasion of her birthday Maria invited Rita at home. Here she met her 1 year younger to her, means 24 years old brother Karim and her dad. (Small ideal looking lovely family…….. ahhh, Rita thought)

The party was going great when suddenly Karim started to shout and lost temper on bursting of a balloon. He was saying “the blue balloon”, “it was his balloon” and he kept on repeating the phrase for a long time. Maria was very calm and softly dealing with brother, she did not hide him, nor be unduly apologetic or embarrassed for what happened. It was a small gathering and most people seems to be aware and okay with the event, except the new friend. ( how mad !!!! Rita was thinking )

Acceptance is the first step :

Later Maria told Rita that her brother Karim is under treatment for ADHD. Since he is much better so family is safely encouraging him to be part of small close people’s gatherings. It rarely happens that he get such episode as he has improved a lot. ( Rita doesn't agree though but who bothers )

Maria told that she loves her brother very dearly, much more than the other brother who is becoming a doctor, who is living in hostel and remains very busy in studies.

Rita thought "how she can love a mentally unstable brother than a brilliant and bright medical schooler".

After 2 months from that, Maria gifted Rita small beautifully handmade handicrafts, She lovingly told Rita it is made by Karim. Maria showed her that she is marketing those cutely designed items at Karim's Instagram page, which Maria made and handles with him. People especially the kids of community loves Karim due to his colourful uniquely designed bags, shoes and decoration pieces. He started to gets very good income, so now he is more motivated and doing well with his work.

The acceptance Karim got from her elder sister were the best support to make him an independent & confident person. Despite of his diverse thought process, he is capable of something beautiful. Everyone is capable in his/her diverse & unique way. Now it is the time to accept it.

Truly respecting others , how?

By respecting the differences of thought process, which we call cognitive diversity.

There was a time when people consider every mental difference as madness. More shameful is, they feel easy to abuse these differences verbally, sometimes by taunts , other times by calling jokes and names on them, without realising the unique capacities.

Madness is actually, letting to waste, these diverse talents which ALLAH subhahu ta'ala has bestowed on every single individual.

It is time to respect and value differences as they are made by ALLAH

ALLAH gave us clear instructions in Surat ul Hujarat.

Train yourself gradually for a better tolerance :

Rita learned from all this gradually, by observing Maria's supporting attitude towards her brother. Now she has a different direction of vision too. Naturally the process was gradual but her attitude with her siblings improved. She started to realise that, the tasty packed lunches at work and dinners at home which she enjoys without considering any thanks, were made by her not doing anything sister at home. She has a talent in cooking though she was not good at college.

Keep your focus in right direction:

Each son and daughter of Adam is equally honoured, this respect is given to us from our loving Rab. It doesn't need any approval from others. Also it doesn't need high degrees and superior designations. Love and respect others as they are, they are made diverse yet respectful by ALLAH. Isn't that enough for people of ar Rahman.

Let's see how is Rita doing. Over the period of one year, she learned to work on her close dear relations. She took another year to convince her once thought failure sister and way too simple brothers to start a small caf’e for the sister to make her finances independent. Confident happy mothers are more likely to raise better generations.

Let’s love and empower the people around us with their thoughts and talent diversities. Seeing good in others is an art which grows with practise.