What Perceptual Position Do You Operate From?

You've probably heard the phrase, "There's always two sides to every story."

Ironically, this statement is leaving out part of the story.

Aki Tolentino @akipotpot

Because in actuality...

There are five sides to every story.

Let me explain...

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Would you agree that truth is relative?

The truth of anything depends upon who is observing it and where they are observing from.

In example, if I was watching a news story on TV I might perceive this story to be the truth.

What I am being shown on TV is my truth because it is what I see from my vantage point...

Pablo Garcia Saldaña @garciasaldana_

However, the person who was at the actual event, at a completely different vantage point, may have experienced a completely different truth.

Is one perspective more important than the other?

Not likely.

Can one perspective be more useful than the other?

Quite likely.

Will both pespectives be conveyed equally?

Quite unlikely!

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There Are Many Ways To Perceive Life

The previous example was a super obvious way in which the truth can change based upon the angle in which we perceive it.

But this is not always as obvious in our day to day lives.

In life we are constantly interacting with information and making judgements based upon how it is perceived.

Dan Gold @danielcgold

"I feel good. He seems nice. She's lying. We have a great connection. This is unfair. Rick said it's a good idea. Susie said we should be wary of that."

Sometimes our judgements are accurate and sometimes they are not.

When they are not, the ramifications can be drastic...

Can you remember a time when you had a conflict with someone, but then later found out that the conflict should have never happened because it was based upon false assumptions?

I feel like this kind of thing happens quite often...

It's this type of situation that can stir up unnecessary conflict, destroy relationships, and even ignite violence.

So how do we counter this issue?

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The Power Of Perceptual Positions

Our consciousness allows us to perceive life from a variety of vantage points.

We call these various vantage points, "perceptual positions."

There are five perceptual positions that dominate our reality.

Each position places its focus on a different part of our reality, thus each perceptual position receives different types of information.

Therefore, the more perceptual positions we access, the more information we will have to work with.

Perceptual positions are important because truth is made up of a variety of perspectives.

The more perspectives you gain access to, the more of the truth you will embody, and the more empowered you will be to make consciously orchestrated decisions.

Some of these perspectives you will be quite familiar with.

...while others may occupy far less of your daily focus.

Lucky for us, we don't have to actually physically relocate to gain access to these other perspectives.

We can just move there with our mind, and then explore the information we discover along the way.

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Perceptual Position #1: Self-Reference

When you are perceiving the world from your own body or your own emotions, you are accessing perceptual position #1.

From this perspective, you are seeing the world from your own vantage point.

It's the point of view that's most concerned with the self.

Giulia Bertelli @unpeusauvage

You can access this perceptual position by asking yourself...

"How does this circumstance affect me?"

"How do I feel about that?"

"What do I think about that?

In this perceptual position, the focus is fully turned towards oneself.

Someone who is stuck within this perceptual position will seem egotistical and narcissistic, because they will only seem to care about the perspective that they focus on the most: their self!

Can you think of any friends or family in your life who frequently occupy this perceptual position?

Pros

• You are able to understand how you truly feel.
• You will be influenced by your own thoughts (as opposed to other's thoughts).
• You know who you are.

Cons

• You may fail to see another's perspective.
• You may become overly narcissistic.
• You may project yourself onto others.

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Perceptual Position #2: Other-Reference

When you take a walk in another person's shoes you are operating from the second perceptual position.

This vantage point is all about taking on a perspective that is not of your own.

Perceiving the world in this way allows you to see the world through another's eyes.

Everton Vila @evertonvila

You can access this perceptual position by asking yourself...

"How would this circumstance affect him/her?"

"How might he/she feel about that?"

"Why would he/she do that?

An individual who is stuck within this perceptual position will typically put the needs of others first, listen before they speak, and be highly influenced by others.

Who in your life represents these types of qualities?

Pros

• You are able to exude empathy towards others.
• You are open to hearing another perspective.
• You are able to understand the needs of others.

Cons

• You may be overly influenced by those around you.
• You may begin to rely on others, instead of your own self.
• You may ignore your own needs in replace of the needs of others.

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Perceptual Position #3: Dissociated Reference

When you are watching two people converse in a movie, you are observing from the third perceptual position.

This vantage point is detached from the situation at hand.

It observes "them" and interprets the world from a stance of "objectivity."

Lucas Vasques @luvqs

You can access this perceptual position by asking yourself...

"What are the facts about this situation?"

"What is each party saying?"

"Where is the evidence?

An individual stuck within this perceptual position will seem cold and detached from the outside world. They will likely highly value objectivity (i.e. the facts) and place far less value on subjective expression.

Know of any people like this?

Pros

• You can see "both sides" of the story.
• You can detach from emotionally-based perspectives.
• You can assess the situation objectively.

Cons

• You may lack empathy.
• You may struggle to understand your own emotions and the emotions of others.
• You may feel isolated and alone in the world.

Perceptual Position #4: Systemic Reference

When you are observing a situation from the perspective of the system, then you are in the fourth perceptual position.

In this position, you have expanded your perspective beyond yourself, others, and even a group, to the systems that govern the situation.

CEO's, Politicians, and community leaders embody this perspective as they seek to change or improve legal, financial, medical systems, etc.

Denys Nevozhai @dnevozhai

You can access this perceptual position by asking yourself...

• Is this situation in line with our mission?"

• Will this help us to achieve our goals?

• Is this for the good of all?

Pros

• You can see the "bigger picture."
• You can pinpoint the root issue, rather than focusing on symptoms of the issue.
• You can see what is best for an entire population or organization.

Cons

• You may fail to understand the specific needs within an organization.
• You may become too detached to understand the personal or interpersonal perspective.
• You may begin to see living people and animals as "property", "objects", or "assets."

Perceptual Position #5: Universal Reference

If you are taking on multiple perceptual positions and able to rapidly shift through all of them, then you are operating from the fifth perceptual position.

This is the widest perspective that you can attain.

In this position, we are able to quickly shift and interchange between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th perspectives.

In this perceptual position, you will utilize each position with equal importance as you see the value in constructing a full-scale perspective.

This is the most ideal perspective to occupy as it embraces ALL perceptual positions.

Niketh Vellanki @thenikyv

Pros

• You can communicate effectively by shifting perceptual positions often.
• You are able to construct a wider perspective by embracing all of them.
• You understand how each perspective is inter-connected.

Cons

• The only cons of this perspective dwell within the perceptual positions that it occupies (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th position).

One Experience, Many Perspectives

Whenever you read a book or watch a movie, the experience is always guided by a specific perspective.

Typically, a story is presented within the first, second, or third person perspective (or a combination of the three).

Jason Wong @jasonhk1920

This information is vital in understanding who the characters are, what their motives are, and why they act in particular ways.

Without this information, you likely would become confused and the story would not make much sense.

Now think about this as it relates to you life.

What happens when you understand more of the story of your life?

For me, I often feel much more clear and confident with where I'm going.

Knowing how I feel, how others may feel, how my world may feel, and the systems that govern them help me to navigate my life more effectively.

When we're lost, sometimes we just need to look at our situation from a different angle to find the solution we need.

For the perspective that created the problem is not often the one that will resolve it!

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What perceptual position do you operate from most often? Which position do you think you would benefit from using more often?

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