There is no doubt that perspective is the lens by which we interpret the world around us. We all have them, and sometimes they are actually correct. The problems come when they are not.
Your perspective comes from your perception, how you first view the events in the world around you. Perspective is based on the consistency of how you perceive your environment over time.
Let’s define these two words before moving forward:
Perspective is how we view the world around us based on the consistency of our experience over time.
Perception is how we are viewing the current events around us.
Ironically, our perspectives also begin to “shade” our perceptions over time, which then in turn shade our perspectives.
In fact, sometimes we only see our own perspective because the emotions attached to our perspective further filters the events around us. The stronger the emotion that agrees with our perspective, the greater the chance we will see the current event that way.
The result is what is called a self fulfilling prophecy: seeing only what we want to see.
When we are stuck in this cycle we eventually only see one side of the argument. Our perceptions become so deeply entrenched in the emotions of our perspective that we will actually block any truth that disagrees with our current perspective.
When this occurs rational reasoning is lost, listening skills diminish, compromise is impossible, and dissension and disagreement become inevitable.
What makes self fulfilling prophecy a more permanent condition is the eroding away of the truth.
When there is no foundational truth to compare our perceptions to, our perspective becomes our basis of truth.
Perception is most definitely our reality of the moment, and truth is the only thing that can help us stay in track. Without a foundation of truth, we are left to our limited perceptions to solidify our perspective.
Our country’s forefathers knew this better than we do today. For they didn’t just claim their rights based on emotion, but founded it on truth. A truth they could defend and England would also agree with when they wrote:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
To them, the truth was that these rights were endowed by their Creator.
Without a common truth, this country is only left with bickering politicians that base their arguments on their perspective.
That’s my perception of our current situation. What is yours, and what truth are you basing it on to ensure it is correct?
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