When I was a kid I remember defending myself for some transgression before my dad and saying;
“Can you tell me what’s on the wall behind you without looking?”
To which he replied;
“No I don’t have eyes in the back of my head”
Without skipping a beat I quipped;
“Me neither-so we can agree that the view from my seat is different than yours”
He smiled.
point taken…
I still got grounded though.
The experience however, was not in vain.
Inspiring since that time a fascination with the intensity with which we each will defend our own perspectives.
And further, how the degree to which we defend the perspective has an inverse effect on the accuracy of it’s reflection of reality.
The most succinct way to summarize my observations would be as follows;
The more attached we become to our perspective, the more narrowed our view and experience of life becomes.
Speaking of view … I have often marveled at the accuracy of our vision.
The eyes seem to be able to funnel in all of our panorama, most often without limitation.
So how is it conceivable that at any point in time we become limited to only one narrow view. And while we are on it, how is it possible that music can be almost universally appealing and simultaneously aggressively divisive?
“I will listen to anything BUT rap/country/ opera/ metal/bladideeda “
How is it possible to drive past a forest of trees, leaves each riddled with imperfection- on the cusp of death and yet the driver only sees the brilliance of autumnal splendor?
Or look at our sons first ever written alphabet and comment ” Almost perfect! … You just neglected to dot your j !”
Clearly it’s far less about the observed and far more about observer. But how to distinguish “who” within us is actually observing is often a very messy, convoluted and confusing process.
The difference between the “Autumnal” and “Alphabet” perspectives (described above) is the place from where the observations that inspired the emotional response, were interpreted.
Agreed, it is the eyes most basic job to bring information inward for us to first ascertain any threat to survival, to inspire reaction (fight/flight).
Yet to “react” we need emotion.
Emotion clearly is felt in the heart but unfortunately all too often falsely fictionalized in the mind.
And therein lies the distinction, when the mind is thinking through the data interpreted from the eyes, ears et al and cross relating it within the extensive database of past experiences and future threats, it can over season the experience.
And any reactions overly influenced by mind’s perspective, run the risk being less representative of the heart’s true intention.
But the best news is ..
Conversely, if the heart is simply open to a drive on a fall afternoon, the experience of the ever present natural beauty, overshadows the actual reality of the individual leaf’s life cycle.