Isn't All Reality Just One Point Of View ?

Over the course of the day today a recurring theme kept coming up:

perspective.

I had one on one conversations with nearly a dozen different people today, and in literally EVERY single one of them a viewpoint was expressed that clearly was influenced by perspective.  Whether my own or that of my discussion partner, the version of reality that was being expressed was from one point of view.  This was fascinating to me because these individuals were all rational, logical, and arguably of above average intelligence, yet we ALL seemed somewhat oblivious to other possible perspectives.  We each deeply believed in that moment that what we had seen or heard or experienced was the true reality, as if there was only ONE accurate viewpoint.

As I navigated through these chats, both formal and informal, I found myself seeking to be open to seeing any situation from at least two different vantage points.  This was extremely helpful in considering ALL the "facts" before passing judgement on others (either those in the conversation itself or those subjects of the discussion).  It made it very easy to avoid misjudging based on only one thought process.  I think this is an essential characteristic of a great leader, but is beneficial to anyone who feels responsibility for others.

If you find yourself frustrated with someone or some situation, may I humbly suggest that you consider another point of view or two before jumping to judgments you may regret later.  I've certainly eaten some humble pie before and it tastes equally bad from ANY perspective.


Song Of The Day:
I love the video for the song "This Side" by Nickel Creek because it visually displays the analogy of different perspectives.  Sometimes it looks like people are "singing at a wall" but if you view things from a different vantage point, you can see that a full concert is happening.  Isn't life better when we seek to understand and then to be understood?  Many times, if we understand another's perspective first there is no need to ensure they understand you ... because you have already changed your opinion.

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