Perspective is everything. An event in our lives can be viewed from at least two angles, or from two different vantage points.
We have a figurative meaning for this word, which refers to how a situation is conceived, observed, or viewed—its perspective or viewpoint, its conception, or its outlook. More philosophically, it indicates some degree of expectation, or a hope or belief, and the likelihood of it coming to pass, as in this sentence: I have the prospect of getting a job.
But it can also be used to refer to the aspect or appearance from which something (an object or situation) can be observed.
In its epistemological sense, the word “perspective” derives from Latin and means what is seen or observed. To have something in “perspective” can also mean to take something into account, a specific vantage point, or a different way of contextualizing or framing an experience or an object.
Given this meaning, in our lives, we can always find another way, another perspective from which to view, feel, or appreciate actions, people, situations, and thoughts...
Consider, for example, this simple example: The church tower bell ringing the alarm may signal a danger occurring in that locality, warning residents to gather or be alert to an extreme event, for instance; but it may also mark an important date or occasion and thus be regarded not as an alarm, but as a celebration! In the same way, a school bell that rings at 9 a.m. signals the start of the first class, but the same ring, the same bell, with the same duration at the end of the afternoon, signals the end of the last class. The perspective of the students, teachers, and staff has changed, even though the bell is exactly the same, and the sound is absolutely identical. The same bell that sounded irritating on the first morning sounds melodious by the end of the day. Nothing about the bell has changed, but the way you received it has changed completely.
In life, there are also times or situations when it may seem to us that what lies ahead, or what has happened to us, is something less than positive; but that same situation, if observed and analyzed from another perspective—even from our own—may reveal itself to be something far more positive, rather than an end or something undesirable.
The same experience that destroys you at the wrong time can save you at the right moment. Perspective is the difference between a prison and a window!
Image by Kari Shea from Pixabay
Original text written by @xrayman in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)
