I think if people could stop and take a moment to shift their view, even just a few degrees, it would lead to a whole lot more compassion and understanding. I’m not talking a 180-degree turn-around here, I’m talking a small increment. It doesn’t need to be huge to have a major impact on your thoughts, feelings or views.
I’m going to give you a really simple illustration of this, and how skewed our views can be with a simple shift in perspective.
A while back, I was talking with my gym buddy, and told her how great she looked in a particular picture she had posted. She had the complete opposite opinion. She said something to the effect of, “My arms look huge. I hate it.” (AHHH! SEE?!?! ARMS! NINTENDO SWITCH! Click! Okay, continuing on…you’ll see where I’m going with this...) She couldn’t see all of the hard work she had done, and how amazing she actually looked because she saw something that she thought was unflattering. I didn’t even notice, to be honest. I tried to tell her she looked muscular and strong, and that she had total female Terminator arms. She didn’t buy it.
So, I did a little experiment to show her how perspective and angle can completely change the look of something, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect the whole or accurate picture.
Over about 5-point-three seconds, I took a series of pics of my own arm, only changing the position of my elbow (not the camera or the lighting) by maybe 3-4 degrees. That’s it. I think the effect is pretty drastic. (In the first pic, I actually pushed my elbow about 10 degrees forward from the normal 90-degree "strong arm flex" angle.)
When I sent them to her (as a cheering-up) she was amazed and couldn’t believe the difference. I tried to express how just the smallest change can make a huge difference in how we see something. All are accurate, but each reflects a different image. It’s all in how you look at something. The angle, the degree; change one small thing, and your entire perspective may shift. SWITCH it up, and see the difference. (Ahaaa! See what I did there? Thanks, Arms/Nintendo Switch. I’m so cheeky.)
Try to remember that in your own life and interactions. Just because someone has a different view or perspective than you, doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong, or that they’re even arguing with you to begin with. Maybe all you have to do is shift your thinking just a few degrees, and you’ll see something in an entirely new way.
P.S. Rock on, Nintendo Switchers. And, here’s to thinking outside of the box.