A chameleon, or social chameleon, is someone who fits in and generally gets along with all kinds of folks. They were able to bounce around to different cliques in High School, getting along great with the freaks and the geeks, and they were able to parlay that ability into adult life, college, and business.

In general, I think being a Chameleon has many positives. The main one being the ability to understand and empathize with different people, the classic “Put yourself in their shoes.” thing. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I believe the reason I got along with most people in my younger years is that I was willing to accept them and just simply hang out. I’m still willing to accept them today, but I think it is important to speak your truth when needed.

In my personal life and in business, attempting to put myself in someone’s shoes and see things from their point of view has served me well. I get to be understanding, considerate, and thoughtful when making decisions. In the tech, design, and user experience disciplines, empathy is pretty much an everyday word. It is in fact the one of the main focuses of the entire Design Thinking methodology. That being said, it can be a blocker at times by making decision-making and opinion-sharing a grueling task. You understand both sides, so which side it right?

We run into scenarios every day where we can understand why somebody needs something, why somebody believes something, or why someone thinks their opinion should be universally adopted. We can understand why they see it that way, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree. Everyone is a bit different than you. Strive to understand them. Voice your opinion. Respect and appreciate the differences.

Everyone is a bit different than you. Strive to understand them. Voice your opinion. Respect and appreciate the differences.

Thanks to my brother, Clayton Sammons, for the chameleon sketch! You should check out his work if you have a second.