A Different Kind of Perspective

Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant? – Henry David Thoreau

I’m a big fan of perspective.  When you change your perspective, you can change so many things.  But usually when we think about perspective, we’re only thinking about us and how we’re seeing something. Today I’m talking about a different kind of perspective, and honestly, it’s a biggie in my mind.

I think a lot of people read To Kill A Mockingbird while they were in school, and they’re all familiar with the idea of walking in another person’s shoes. But how many of us actually do it.  I know it’s something I struggle with on many occasions.  Especially when I’m fighting for something I believe in.

I actually tried this just the other day when engaging in a political discussion with someone who had diametrically opposing views from me regarding a certain leader of a certain free world.  We were just chit chatting at first, and it drifted toward the political, and I tried very hard to see things from her view.  It was hard, and while it didn’t change my political view at all, what it did do was allow me to not get into an argument .

It was one of those times where it paid to take a deep breath and consider the view of somebody else.  As I said, it didn’t change my mind, and it didn’t change her mind, but it did allow us to have a productive discussion.  Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes.