The motto of the Human Library project is to “Unjudge Somebody.” I think this would be a good motto for all of us to keep in mind when we make conscious or unconscious assumptions about others. If we have the opportunity or make an effort to hear their stories we may not agree with the choices they have made or see the future in the same way, but often we will find connections.

Dear Neighbor,

Over the last few years, I have periodically participated in an online activity called The Human Library. It is a positive and available way to learn more about people living lives you might only imagine or even learn about lives you can’t begin to imagine. 

There are two kinds of participants: the Books and the Readers. I have always been one of the Readers. The Books are individuals with stories to tell about their lives, generally about the difficult or unusual circumstances they live with. The rule is that the Readers can ask the Book any questions they have. This leads to real dialogue that in a different context could be embarrassing for both parties. The Books reveal   what it is like living  in their skin. Some Books have disabilities that may or may not be obvious. Some have histories of trauma. Some have unusual living or working situations. 

Why do the Books choose to open themselves up to strangers who ask probing questions? They universally indicate it is because they want others to better understand them and come to see them as an individual rather than a person with X or who has done Y or is a Z.

Why do I and other Readers choose to participate?  For me, it is to remind myself that I live in a bubble with familiar people and my own circumstances. There is a big world out there where all individuals have their own challenges, disappointments, joys, hopes and dreams that may be hard for others to see or acknowledge. 

The motto of the Human Library project is to Unjudge Somebody. I think this would be a good motto for all of us to keep in mind when we make conscious or unconscious assumptions about others. If we have the opportunity or make an effort to hear their stories we may not agree with the choices they have made or see the future in the same way, but often we will find connections.

If you are interested in applying to be a Book to tell your own story or interested in being a Reader, go to humanlibrary.org. It is free and always worthwhile.

Take a chance to understand your fellow humans. We will never understand the deliberate death of a child, the senseless beating of an elderly man, the murder of a detainee as seen in Dallas, which are as devastating as the murder of a young man who was a political activist and media personality. But we can understand that there are factors in each situation that have led to these disastrous actions. We don’t have to condone these acts, but we could try to understand them.

“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.