Perspective

Perspective is one of my favorite topics to discuss because it’s arguably one of the few things we have 100% control over—a rather radical claim. Perspective is different from perception, which refers to a state of awareness often attributed to one of the basic five senses (e.g., sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). Therefore, perspective refers to how we interpret our perceptions that we experience in the world. I like to use the interpretation of art as a good example of the difference between these two similar concepts. Two people listening to the same song will both experience the sound waves vibrate their eardrums; however, their interpretation of the song may vary and depends on additional factors such as their musical preferences.

Now, the reason I’m such a fan of perspective is because of a process known as perspective-taking. Perspective-taking is a developmental skill that most people acquire at some point in their late childhood development; typically, around the age of 7 or 8 (i.e., the age of reason). The theory associated with this developmental milestone is called Theory of Mind, which can be summarized as follows: A child’s ability to understand that other people have their own minds with their own will, accompanied by their own desires. In other words, it’s the beginning of the end of the egocentric worldview of a child and the beginning of an understanding that the world doesn’t revolve around them.

I can’t help but to wonder if you’re thinking the same thing I am right about now—how there’s someone you know, or knew, who clearly didn’t develop Theory of Mind because they act as if the world DOES revolve around them. We’ve all met someone like that, but that’s the beauty of perspective-taking and the functional utility of this skill. Perspective-taking simply asks someone to take another perspective, to search for another explanation, to reimagine the intention of an interaction, and to allow their initial conclusions to be challenged. It’s what our best friends do when we’ve had a terrible day, and they try their best to offer another perspective to contrast the one we’ve allowed to put us in a mood. And you’ll know how effective it can be at reducing the impact, or even eliminating, that mood if you’ve ever allowed yourself to take their perspective.

There is a technique in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that uses perspective-taking called Cognitive Reframing. To reframe something, psychologically speaking, means to reconsider your perspective and its subsequent emotional impact. By taking a new perspective, or reframing, we are better able to understand how other factors may be contributing to our emotional response in any given situation. So, I challenge you to spend some time reflecting on your perspective over the next couple of weeks. Are you married to your initial interpretation of events, or do you allow yourself to question your own perspective? Maybe you question yourself too much; in that case, is there a way to test the legitimacy of your interpretation against the perspective of others? Do you have someone in your life who can offer guidance on matters that evoke strong emotional responses? It’s never too late to reconsider, reframe, and rest assured that perspective is a process of refining and discovery—not mere assumption.

Best,

Joseph