Student testimonials
“I had a really educational and useful experience. I learned a lot and was supported to think about things I had never thought (this deeply) about.”
“It was a beautiful and interesting experience! I think it enhances mutual respect. It also enhanced my understanding that your worldview can keep evolving and that there are qualities in each worldview that are valuable.”
“It was different and refreshing!”
“I have gained more respect for the different worldviews. This has been very valuable.”
“I learned a lot of new things and my awareness of my own worldview really grew.”
“… it also invoked a sense of belonging in the sense that I am not alone in this world, there are other people who also share your ideals and can help to support you.”
“I experienced a new way of communicating … It was lovely to share information about yourself and someone to be listening intently. I felt more engaged, curious and open.”
“It was very positive and a new kind of experience for me.”
“I thought it was a really eye-opening experience! It was also interesting to discuss with people who had different worldviews than me.”
“The Journey has made me realize how important I find it to truly feel part of nature.”
“It was intriguing and self actualising.”
“I think these kind of reflexive exercises are super important for my process of trying to figure out what I want to use this Master programme for.”
“I think it is really good to understand the importance of worldviews, because you can understand yourself, each other and society better.”
“I liked the Worldview Journey. It is different than usual, when you only listen to a lecture and ask questions. Now you get the opportunity to discuss more. I also liked that you get the opportunity to think about your own worldview and reflect upon it, and that you hear about others’ worldviews.”
“The videos were outstanding. They were very clear and informative. I watched them twice to make sure I did not miss anything. I also liked the Worldview Test. The journaling exercise was helpful, and allowed me to compare my notes to your description of worldviews.”
“It was a nice experience! I liked taking the test and learning about my worldview. And then discussing this with others to see how they think differently. I became more aware of the different worldviews and their qualities and limitations, as well as about my own. I liked understanding where my way of thinking comes from, and how it needs to evolve if I want to change my worldview.”
“It has provided me with […] a sort of soothing relativity of life as a human in the universe. Simultaneously, it has re-enforced my sense of purpose: I am part of an interconnected whole and through my interactions, I have an important impact on the world.”
“It was very nice to just start talking without being judged or interrupted. This allowed a lot of space to sometimes actually pause and think, without the other person stepping in to keep the conversation flowing all the time. Next time when I’ll have a deep conversation I want to try to just listen sometimes without interrupting to give the other person space to think.”
“Thought provoking. Sustainability is such a mammoth of a challenge, with no exact route. I always found that the hardest place to begin problem-solving is the start. But what better place to start then to look at the world from all points of view ~ from all worldviews.”
“It was powerful, I felt expanded, connected and more open to others, enriched…with greater hope, and possible practical applications for my area of interest… The process of exploring worldviews with a stranger was really interesting! … What a simple, easy, practical accelerator for positive understanding and change!”
“I found the dialoguing exercise very useful, as it made me realize that the more open and attentive I am with someone, the better I can understand them. I also think that verbally expressing my thoughts and experiences is helpful to get a better understanding of myself.”
“I think I now better understand why people think what they think. For example, when someone disagreed with me on social injustice issues, I used to think “how could anyone think like that?”. But now, thanks to the worldviews, I can understand the foundation on which ideas were built, where they come from. It might make me be more understanding and willing to listen to other views, instead of just blindly thinking I am in the right.”
“It was extremely eye opening and created a stronger inner balance. It reminded me strongly to accept all kinds of worldviews and get rid of all arrogance, to accept all opinion and treat everyone with the same humble respect, whether I agree with them or not. I also learnt how the worldviews are relevant in the sustainability-context and how understanding that there are different worldviews could on one hand make solution-finding difficult at first, but that the art is to see the differences as inspirational inputs to find solutions.”
“The Worldview Journey … made me realize the evolution of worldviews in my own life. I was raised Presbyterian (traditional). In my teens, an existential crisis led me to a more practical, rational, independent view (modern). Through college and early career I discovered creative paths of self-expression and engaging with others (postmodern). Through my later career I developed interest in integrative health and wellness (integrative). This worldview serves me well as I retire and consider life through a more expansive spiritual perspective. Realizing my worldview evolution gave me a connection to each worldview.”
“The worldview journey was insightful, for it encouraged an acknowledgement of alternative perspectives that differ to my own, but also promoted a recognition of my personal worldview journey and growth. …. The mixture of direct learning and brainstorming constructed an engaging environment which elevated my knowledge development and attention. … The stream of consciousness exercise was a unique experience, for it contrasted the ambience and structure of typical interactions, and provided an opportunity for freedom of expression and thought. I enjoyed learning from someone with a different worldview, as it exposed how my perspective contrasts with others with respect to religion and development. The listening component was also beneficial, for it encouraged complete concentration and focus on the other person.”
“One insight that I’ve learned is that all worldviews are valid and there is not one “correct” worldview. It is important to have a nonjudgmental attitude towards each other and our worldviews and to hold space for the different perspectives. In order to solve issues like climate change, we have to find a common-ground where we have understanding for every worldview. …. I also realized how important it is to actually listen to someone. Sometimes understanding what someone else is talking about is a very useful tool to gain a different perspective and question your own thinking, to evaluate how your thought process came to be. Sometimes we are so immersed into our own “bubble” or world that just having a conversation with someone with a different worldview can really change your mindset.”
Other testimonials
We are two Belgian teachers, who teach the subjects social sciences and religion to 18 year olds. In a project on human-, world- and God-images, we’ve used your worldview-test. We would like to let you know that the worldview test was certainly a success! The students found it very interesting to find out how they view the world. A colleague of history found this project so interesting that she would like to participate next year so that more depth is created.
Your session was a highlight of the week for me, and truly impressive. Your synthesis of different worldviews was insightful and useful. Your connection to mindfulness demonstrated an ability to creatively meld apparently disparate elements. The exercise you led us through was bold and deeply impacted the group. Using an innovative approach, you urged us each to be thoughtful, you enhanced the relationships within the group, and you turned our subsequent discussions in a direction that was more gentle, more receptive to diverse positions, and more likely to find common ground. I highly recommend you and your approach to groups who are seeking reconciliation and additive collective insight.
I’m faced with a new challenge for next spring — to teach a class on innovation. … I want to start off the course with some added material on worldviews and interconnectedness, and find assessment tools to determine the baseline for each student. I also want to assess students at the end of the semester to see if their worldview has changed at all. … I have been searching for a good worldview assessment tool, and I am very impressed with yours.
Scientifically substantiated and accessibly presented, Annick encouraged self-reflection by inviting us to explore our worldviews. This generated understanding for the different ways in which people and organizations tackle challenges – including the creation of a sustainable economy, which was the subject of the afternoon. More clarity about our values brought depth to the panel discussion that followed. Annick’s contribution offered a refreshing, hopeful, and unitive perspective on the common challenges of our time. It really made us all think in a different way.
I’m a high school history teacher and next semester I will be teaching ‘Issues of Indigenous People in a Global Context’. I thought it would be interesting to start the course with students (grade 12) exploring their own worldview before looking at other worldviews. Your feedback was extremely informative therefore I would like to incorporate your test into the introductory section of the course.
With her knowledge of worldviews, Annick made an important contribution to our learning community of directors in primary education. She deepened the conversation by helping the directors become more aware of what is implicitly guiding their behavior. By doing so, what is often below the surface became visible. This makes it possible to communicate about it and learn from one another. Her empathic ability, her calm and her sharp analysis create a safe setting, so that the conversation about worldviews and human views – which are foundational to changes in our educational practices – can take place in a constructive way.
I’m an English teacher enlightening my students about their worldviews. I came across your website and was using it with my students. Their outcomes provided interesting classroom conversations.
I’m a high school teacher in Australia and am constantly looking to explore things about worldviews with my students. I found your online survey and diagram in particular really helpful. I find many resources are very intellectual and aimed at university contexts, but your survey has quality questions that most people can understand and are engaging for teenagers.