(Also, a wonderful Mariah Carey album.)
I've heard from multiple people that I play devil's advocate a lot. I didn't notice it until people pointed it out, but I do enjoy it. There's a good chance it's because I like to joke around and get a little sarcastic facetious.
Google devil's advocate, and it spits this out at you: "a person who expresses a contentious opinion in order to provoke, debate, or test the strength of the opposing arguments." Devil's advocate is such a mischievous-sounding name, though. It makes it sound like encouraging people to consider other perspectives is such a fiendish thing. Since we have a devil's advocate, I'm going to propose that we have a much more helpful "angel's advocate" as well.
I want to discuss gossip and drama just a little bit and see how an "angel's advocate" would react. I understand that people have to vent sometimes. People can get genuinely pissed off with those around them, and that's OK. Venting to other people is a great way to release that frustration. The problem occurs when venting turns to gossip. When it flips from letting off steam to attacking someone else, it's time for the angel's advocate to step in. Gossip is usually fueled by misunderstanding, and who better to solve some conflict than an angel's advocate? They could get the gossiper to consider what was running through the other person's head, get them to change their perspective, and test the strength of an anger-filled opposing argument.
Doesn't that sound kind of nice? Someone that would provoke you to think about things differently for your benefit? Good, because people do it all the time. Are you listening to them? Are you considering other viewpoints? It's so debilitating to only view the world through our own eyes. We need people playing devil's advocate in our lives. If changing the name to angel's advocate makes it that much easier to accept, so be it.
The most important people in my life are the ones that have made me think the most. When I decided to switch my major to psychology, my mom made me really think about it. When I get frustrated with people (occasionally for good reasons, mostly for no good reason), my best friends don't just coddle me, they ask me questions. They get me to think about the people I'm frustrated with. They yank me out of my own shoes and put me in someone else's, but being the angel's advocates they are, they don't make me feel stupid for being frustrated. They gently remind me to think things through, and I appreciate them all the more because of it.
Let's try a little harder to be more considerate and be angel's advocates. Have a wonderful day, and here's a picture of John Cena without a nose that takes up way too much space.
