“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”
Rumi
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The Arab word Taarradhin (تراض) caught my attention recently. It means compromise, but with a depth that speaks of mutual satisfaction, where both sides walk away with dignity intact. It’s not about winning or losing but understanding—something rare and precious in today’s world. This word reminds me of Rumi’s line.
Rumi knew that life is not always about right and wrong. Sometimes, it’s about stepping into that middle ground where we let go of our need to be right and simply meet one another as humans. In a world that often pits us against each other, Taarradhin invites us to let go of pride and embrace humility, to seek healing instead of victory.
How often do we cling to our positions, imagining that peace can only be found through triumph? Yet the greatest resolutions come when both sides walk away unbroken, when we choose understanding over stubbornness. Compromise isn’t weakness—it’s courage. It’s the quiet strength of seeking connection over division.
As I look around, I see a world that feels increasingly divided. Social media fuels conflict, news cycles highlight only the most extreme positions, and people argue with a fervour that often seems more about proving their point than listening to anyone else. We are driven by a need to be right, a need to win. But in the noise of it all, we’ve forgotten that there’s a space in between—a space where Taarradhin lives.
What would happen if, instead of fighting to be heard, we fought to understand? If we could meet in that field beyond our judgments, where the goal isn’t to convince or to conquer, but simply to connect. This isn’t an easy ask. It takes humility to step away from our firmly held beliefs, to put aside our pride, and to meet someone with a heart open to understanding. But isn’t that where true progress happens?
When we let go of the need to win, we make space for something deeper—something that leaves us all a little more whole. And isn’t that the point? Life is less about being right, and more about learning to walk alongside one another, even when we disagree.