"In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change"

Genuine dialogue is an encounter marked by openness and humility. When two individuals or groups engage in true dialogue, they both bring their points of view but do not cling rigidly to them. There is an implicit understanding that learning and transformation are possible. Each participant enters the conversation recognizing the validity of the other person’s experience and perspective. This willingness to listen deeply and honestly, to be affected by another’s stories or arguments, sets true dialogue apart from a debate or an argument where the aim is only to defend one’s position or to win.

This openness does not imply a lack of conviction, nor does it mean abandoning one’s beliefs at the slightest challenge. Instead, it is an acknowledgment that none of us possesses the whole truth. Each of us carries only a part of the larger reality, and entering a real dialogue offers the opportunity to expand and deepen our understanding. To be willing to change doesn’t mean capitulating uncritically but being ready to genuinely consider new viewpoints and allow those viewpoints to inform or even reshape one’s own.

Communication grounded in a willingness to change invites trust and respect. It fosters an atmosphere where both parties feel seen and heard. Over time, this mutual openness can heal misunderstandings, dissolve prejudices, and foster empathy. In relationships, communities, and even on the level of nations, change arises from such dialogical encounters, because each side is willing to learn from the other and adapt.

By being receptive rather than defensive, dialogue becomes not simply a tool for problem-solving, but a transformative process. The participants evolve together. Their relationship is strengthened, and the possibility for peaceful coexistence and cooperation increases. Only by being willing to change can dialogue reach its highest potential: not just exchanging words, but growing together in understanding and compassion.