Beyond Gender Conference · Florida · 2024
Breakout session presented by Alex Bender

When two people see the same situation differently, what shapes the gap between their perspectives?

In this breakout session, I explored how personal experience, assumptions, and the groups we belong to influence communication. We considered how our understanding changes when we look beyond our own viewpoint—and how easily we can mistake our interpretation of someone else’s experience for their actual experience.

Drawing on the quadrant model from Integral Theory, the presentation examined individual and collective perspectives, alongside subjective experience and observable conditions. Together, these provide ways to consider the people, cultures, and systems involved in an advocacy conversation.

Topics covered

• Recognizing the thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and judgments that shape your own perspective.
• Distinguishing another person’s experience from what you project onto them.
• Exploring how community, shared values, language, and relationships influence understanding.
• Considering observable actions and evidence alongside personal experience.
• Looking at the wider systems that affect people’s choices and opportunities.

Presentation resources

Download the PowerPoint to revisit the perspective models and consider how they apply to your own conversations and advocacy.

Continue exploring

My other breakout session at this conference, Breaking Barriers: Overcoming Psychological Hurdles in Advocacy, focused on defensiveness, the “Why Trap,” and communication strategies for building connection.

As you review the slides, consider: Which perspective do you tend to start from? What might you be assuming about someone else? What becomes visible when you consider the wider context?