Anekantavada, the doctrine that reality is many-sided, orients decision-making toward a more comprehensive and nuanced engagement with any situation. Instead of relying on a single, dominant viewpoint, it invites careful consideration of multiple angles: various stakeholder perspectives, different time horizons, and diverse ethical dimensions. This multi-perspectival approach encourages a more holistic understanding of what is at stake, mitigating the tendency to rush toward simplistic or one-sided conclusions. By acknowledging that each standpoint may reveal only a partial truth, decisions begin to reflect a richer and more balanced picture of reality.

Such an outlook naturally cultivates intellectual humility and reduces dogmatism. Recognizing that one’s own perspective is limited discourages rigid adherence to preconceived positions and opens the door to dialogue and revision. Decision-makers become more willing to consult others, to listen for the valid insights present even in opposing views, and to frame judgments as context-dependent rather than universally final. This conditional, context-sensitive reasoning allows for flexibility: what is appropriate in one set of circumstances may be reconsidered when conditions change or new information emerges.

Anekantavada also shapes the ethical texture of decisions. By encouraging attention to the impact of choices on all affected parties, it supports more ethically comprehensive outcomes and fosters empathy toward those who might otherwise be overlooked. In situations of conflict, this doctrine inclines one toward integrative solutions that honor partial truths on different sides, rather than insisting on a winner-take-all result. The process may become slower and more deliberative, yet it tends to yield decisions that are more inclusive, more adaptable, and more respectful of the complex, many-sided nature of lived experience.