how's your view?
Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided
if people would simply take the time to ask,
What else could this mean?
Shanon L Alder
The word perspective has many meanings and nuances.
Origin :- late Middle English (in the sense ‘optics’): from medieval Latin perspectiva (ars) ‘science of optics,’ from perspect- ‘looked at closely,’ from the verb perspicere, from per- ‘through’ + specere ‘to look.’
source
There is a saying
you can't see the forest for the trees
What does this mean?
To me, it means that I am too close to a situation and can't evaluate the whole thing — and like being in a forest I can only see the trees right in front of me. I can't see the forest because I am in it.
How would I be able to see the forest?
I'd need to get out of the forest, step back to see it and maybe climb up a little higher to get a better view.
I usually picture myself on a precipice. Up there I would have a better view —a view of the whole forest.
There I could see details I missed while in the forest.
How does this look in everyday life?
- arguing about words instead of hearing the message
- allowing my emotions to stop me from seeing the facts
- focusing or obsessing on the minor details
Take a step back. Breathe. Look at the view. Understand what you are seeing and hearing on a larger scale and then work inward.
We can do a disservice to ourselves and others when we stubbornly hold onto our own way of doing things. If we are suffering and hitting our heads against the wall, we are ultimately seeing the trees and not the forest.
We lose sight of our goal and get a little lost. Our perspective or big picture is gone.
If we continue circling that path in the forest around the trees we won't move forward.
We can only see the forest when we get out of the trees! Our stubborn devotion to our own right to figure it out ourselves, even when lost, with a refusal to step back and take another view keeps us going in circles.
Have you ever lost your way?
Have your emotions gotten in the way of your ability to see the facts?
Have you felt like you had one foot nailed to the floor and were going in circles?
It might be time for you to take a step back and allow yourself to have a different view of the situation.
That's a real pretty picture!!! Your thoughts on perspective remind me of a long-ago story I heard about the difference between someone who's lived only in the thick jungle, versus someone who's lived only on the plain.
The jungle-dweller is not used to being able to see more than 10 yards or so, due to the dense vegetation.
The plain-dweller is used to looking over vast distances and beautiful vistas.
If you brought the jungle-dweller to the plain and there was a herd of buffalo in the distance, the jungle-dweller might remark that it's a bunch of bees.
You see, the jungle-dweller's perspective is such that anything that small could not possibly be a group of large animals. The jungle-dweller would only be able to see a large animal when it was within 10 yards or so and it would look nothing like the herd in the distance!
I've never heard that one before. It makes sense. Our environment definitely plays a part in our perspective.
The jungle dweller needs to learn real fast that those bees will be decidedly not bees once the herd meets him at 10 yards. (splat)
It makes me wonder how the plain-dweller faired in the jungle. :)
Thanks for sharing this @cognoscere. :)
Sometimes I imagine God shaking His head at us when He sees the entire forest and we’re stuck on the acorn in front of us. We all need that reminder from time to time that we are not the sun, but we do answer to the Son.
I know....I imagine that too and am in awe of His patience and why on earth He'd want anything to do with us. We do see through a glass darkly - much like the trees with a bit of a view but not all of it.
That verse always sobers me. Even the smallest glimpses of glory are wondrous.
Very true. Don't you find that when you get that glimpse , that it's momentary and poof it's gone the moment you realize it was a God moment?
I do, and it takes me a moment to regroup. Makes me think of God smiling at that moment and saying, “wait, child.”
God smoking??? hahaha....I've never heard any one say that.
Lol! Well, it is a first for me too. Autocorrect has a mind of its own. :)
That made my night Lydon!!! lol.
Well-said~
I think what causes tunnel vision is being overtaken by some powerful emotion - for example, anxiety over being rejected. The emotion is playing so loud in your ears you can't hear anything else, especially details about how your own actions may have caused an adverse response - all you can see is rejection. When you calm down you might see things clearer, but probably not. I remember being lost in the woods and running in circles, literally. I've always had a fear of being lost and so I couldn't focus on anything else.
I hate emotions, well the bad ones anyways. The good ones, they're ok.
All emotions are necessary. If you only had "good" emotions you'd be imbalanced. Just sayin' :)
100% agree, I'm totally unbalanced!
Sounds like your emotions lead to self condemnation and guilt or shame. If you can't see things clearer once you've calmed down then you are most likely still seeing the trees and not the forest.
Your childhood fear can be quietened. Like a child weaned from its mother.
I agree with Albert. That's why I can't do monotonous work in a cubicle!
Love the landscape. It really, really makes me miss mountains! Well, green and warm, too. Soon... Soon spring will come. I hope!
I've actually heard that expression used backwards to explain how dyslexic people (like myself!) think. "You can't see the trees for the forest." I sometimes have the opposite problem, where i see the bigger picture, but don't look close enough to see all the important details.
You're dyslexic? Interesting :)
I would imagine the same principle would apply to you....that if you are seeing only the bigger picture and it's causing you the same kinds of problems, like emotional suffering or being stuck, then you need a change of view too.
Yes, we've used the Albert quote a lot.
I can't wait for spring now....we just got another huge dump of snow. I got my new lens today but didn't want to get it wet so I didn't go out. I practiced indoors. Nothing interesting to share, mind you.
Excellent! I love those fast 50mm lenses. Even though my 24-70 is sharper, I still use the 50mm for that aperture. Getting focus where you want, when the aperture is at its largest, can be a little tricky.
More snow, eh? Well, it's pretty at least. Although, it seems prettier in December, doesn't it? :-)
The dyslexia is a blessing and a curse. Lately it's been more the latter, because I have so much reading to do for this graduate program. It makes things interesting...
oh right.....that would be tough for you. You must have some skills to work with it though.
I am confused about aperture again...I'll practice again tomorrow. I know it's in my brain it just gets a bit confused because it's a new skill. I'm going to use my auto focus to check my aperture for a bit to make sure I'm understanding - doing it that way will help me see what I need in certain light situations.
I had no idea that insanity quote was Einstein! Stepping up to the broader view is a good way to see the forest. Beautiful photo, by the way!
lol...I know right? I wasn't that sure either. I use it all the time. Ha. I usually have a picture in my mind similar to this - when I can't see or understand something. I stand back....walk it back and up.
Thanks for your great comments Mel. Always appreciated. :)
"It was only her perspective." She thought.
When she argued with mother, it often ended in a stalemate. After big fights she often climbed above the town into the forest to the ridge above. The hike gave her time to think, the view gave her clarity. Usually by the time she got back down - one of the two of them usually had opened up a little. She strapped on her hiking boots and began the ascent.
Post Stories by @jfolkmann
Perfect demonstration of gaining perspective. Nice.
Perspective stubbornness is a product of fear. If you climb on top of that mountain on your beautiful photo there is a possibility that you will see the valley on one side and mountain on the other, only thing that prevented us to turn around and absorb the view on both sides is fear that we will fall while turning. Life experience erase that fear.
Fear is a powerful barrier. Good point. I still like to go up high to observe. How that works out in my thinking is to physically remove myself from a situation, calm myself down, distract, then go back with fresh eyes.
Thanks for your input @dijana969.
How true. It is a favourite saying around here when We can't see past the problem to find a solution.
Well said. A brillant man...
We all need this reminder every now and again no matter. Stopping to take a breathe is half the answer.
Thanks for your input @cecicastor.
Nice post and interesting explanation :)
My variant - maybe that means we should think wider and to solve the problem we should take a look from side?
Or maybe maybe (sorry if too romantic) that means we should think wider and always remember that the world is larger that what see from our window?
A different perspective is what it's all about so however you want to interpret it is good. Being stuck with one viewpoint when you are hitting your head against a wall or suffering and are stuck is when you need to do that.
Thanks for your thoughtful input!
Just came from a morning photoshooting, my view is also nice as yours but full of snow and pretty cold :)
I'll be looking for said photos!!!