The concept of double consciousness is essential in developing diversity. Bucher defines double consciousness as “a person’s awareness of his or her own perspective and the perspective of others”.
However, psychology already has a definition that manages to express double consciousness in a single word – empathy. Despite it seeming to require particular talent and, thus, not being accessible to every individual, empathy at its core is a question of a mindset.
With a certain practice, it is possible to learn how to look at the same things differently, continuously shifting the perspective. It is because of such perspective shifts this concept received the name “double consciousness” – its direct application resembles having two (sometimes even more) consciousnesses inside one’s head.
Overall, perspective shifts are a perfect asset in increasing external awareness. Even when it seems virtually impossible to understand a particular perspective, such a fact contributes to realizing the gaps in cognition.