The Ambiguous Many versus The Trusted Few

Over the last few weeks, I've been thinking about a concept from Expansive Impact:

The Ambiguous Many versus The Trusted Few.

We might find ourselves thinking, from time to time:

• What will other people think?

• What will they think?

If these thoughts arise, we can pause to ask ourselves:

• Who, exactly, are we thinking of when we say “other people?”

• And, who, exactly, do we mean by “they?”

Oftentimes, these “other people” fall into what we could call The Ambiguous Many. The Ambiguous Many is unspecified, anonymous, and typically not tied to a person we a) know or b) respect.

Rather than dwelling on the opinions of The Ambiguous Many, we can work to identify our Trusted Few. These are people whose opinions we trust. They are people we respect. And they are people who we might consult for helpful feedback and input about specific situations. 

As a practice, we can write down the names of the people in our Trusted Few. 

Oftentimes, we find that the list is shorter than we might expect.

This practice can help us to prioritize the perspectives that matter, while releasing ambiguous, perceived judgments that might be stopping us from moving forward. 

What do you think about this idea? 

And, are there any other practices you find helpful in moving from The Ambiguous Many to the Trusted Few? 

Questions to Consider

• Where might I be getting stuck or blocked by the opinions of the Ambiguous Many?

• Who are the people in my Trusted Few?

• How could I move from the opinions of The Ambiguous Many, toward seeking helpful perspectives of my Trusted Few?