Both things can be true

(This is one of my personal mantras)

Write about a piece of advice you were given that was impactful. Maybe it wasn’t even offered as advice, per se, but was simply something someone said to you that had a profound impact on you.

I could list things in this category all day, because I love contrarians and narrative-challengers and frequently scribble down their brilliant quips, but one that I was thinking about recently: both things can be true. It speaks to the idea that we can hold two seemingly conflicting beliefs at the same time about a given subject, instead of trying to go along with an over-simplified narrative or caving to social pressure to uphold a popular narrative while ignoring its nuances. For example, you can break up with someone and also acknowledge they were kind to you. You can recognize that the pandemic is terrible, but also acknowledge that working from home made you happy and gave you a greater sense of autonomy. You can hate Facebook as a company, but also value how it helps you feel connected to others. Both things can be true.