In art, perspective first appeared in the Renaissance, as a
system for making paintings look more like the real world,
incorporating distance as well as size. Gradually the term
broadened to refer to our mental outlook over time, as well
as our visual. Of course, our mental and our visual
outlooks are connected through the act of perception, but
what are we really seeing?
We've all heard of the story of the blind men and the
elephant; an unidentified creature wanders into the Land of
the Blind and six wise men are sent to find out what it is.
Each blind man approaches the animal and according to what
they each find from their respective positions the elephant
turns out to be a wall, a spear, a snake, a tree, a rope or
a fan. In the parable, the six blind men argue long and
hard because they are each right within the limitations of
their findings, but are of course only seeing a part of the
animal. The moral of the story is that had they sought to
share their findings, rather than defending their own views
and disputing each other's, they would have discovered a
more complete view of the elephant.
The elephant is also a metaphor for reality and just like
reality it isn't static, it moves and changes and none of
us are able to see the whole thing at any one time. We use
our perception to connect with the outside world through
sight, smell, texture and meaning, but far from delivering
us a universally consistent view of the same old elephant
our perception is shaped by our perspective.
Our perspectives are influenced by many factors, from
external influences such as culture, religion, education or
even advertising, to internal conditions such as illness,
emotions or the effect of intoxicants. How different does
it feel to go to the supermarket when hungry, and how much
more would we spend, than if we go having already eaten a
big meal? Has the supermarket suddenly stocked the shelves
with more delicious food than usual, or do we have a
different perspective and are therefore seeing things
differently? Do we see the world as it is, or as we are?
The good news is that, whilst we each tend towards a
default perspective for each situation in which we find
ourselves, we can at any moment choose a different
perspective. There is always another way of seeing things
and looking for new and wider perspectives prevents us from
getting trapped in a one-sided view and gives us more
control over how we feel. Developing that habit of
searching for different and wider perspectives helps us to
cope realistically and flexibly with difficulties as they
arise. It gives us more options, broadens our experience
and paves the way for new solutions.
We can also influence our perspective by altering our
perception; literally by changing our viewpoint we can
change our point of view. This can be a simple act such as
shifting positioning a chair, sitting in a different chair
or for meetings that have a history of intractability, try
changing the venue. Using our bodies and our brains as a
unified system makes life easier.
"The aim of an argument or discussion should not be
victory, but progress." Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842
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Yolanda Dolling helps businesses reduce costs and increase
sales through partnership and collaboration.
For more on how to grow your business without destroying
yourself or the planet, go to:
http://www.advizory.com
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