Perspective: Seeing the Real World
- Submitted by: RichardWaddy
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- Date Submitted: 07/19/2015 06:10 PM
- Pages: 7
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Richard Waddy, Usher. Western Australia 2014 rwaddy@bigpond.com
Seeing the Real World: Getting perspective
One of the things that made an impact on me was when I got a map of the world with the South pole at the top. Seeing as I had migrated as a kid from the Northern hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere it sorta struck a chord with me how the “North Up” view of the world was just a simple choice (arbitrary). I am NOT saying it is wrong to see the world that way just that is was a simple choice that dominant cultures at the time were in the North.
So for us in the South we do not HAVE to see ourselves on the bottom! It is just as true and equally valid for us to put things up the other way where we are on the top. At least our Pole (South Pole) is on land and not just a moving ice sheet like the north pole! You can buy maps with the South Pole on top but to find them I had to give in to public pressure and search for them under “Up Side Down Maps!”
It is another way of bringing home to us how our own point of view is limited and restricted by what we know already and the people who have influenced us so far.
Now, every group of people like to feel sure about what they believe and think about the world. So that means that the people who’ve influenced you so far may not know everything even if they are totally convinced they are right. They have made simple decision, arbitrary decisions just because they are convenient. Or cause it seemed good at the time, like putting the North pole on top! That is the “hot shit” problem that I mentioned earlier. We all assume that our view is good, OK or best. Some people seem to be naturally positive and certain about life. This doesn’t mean they know everything.
We all get a view of life but it is limited by our experience so far. Our understanding of experiences, our development as personalities seem complete at each point in our lives. Then later on, as we experience more we make adjustments to our...
Seeing the Real World: Getting perspective
One of the things that made an impact on me was when I got a map of the world with the South pole at the top. Seeing as I had migrated as a kid from the Northern hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere it sorta struck a chord with me how the “North Up” view of the world was just a simple choice (arbitrary). I am NOT saying it is wrong to see the world that way just that is was a simple choice that dominant cultures at the time were in the North.
So for us in the South we do not HAVE to see ourselves on the bottom! It is just as true and equally valid for us to put things up the other way where we are on the top. At least our Pole (South Pole) is on land and not just a moving ice sheet like the north pole! You can buy maps with the South Pole on top but to find them I had to give in to public pressure and search for them under “Up Side Down Maps!”
It is another way of bringing home to us how our own point of view is limited and restricted by what we know already and the people who have influenced us so far.
Now, every group of people like to feel sure about what they believe and think about the world. So that means that the people who’ve influenced you so far may not know everything even if they are totally convinced they are right. They have made simple decision, arbitrary decisions just because they are convenient. Or cause it seemed good at the time, like putting the North pole on top! That is the “hot shit” problem that I mentioned earlier. We all assume that our view is good, OK or best. Some people seem to be naturally positive and certain about life. This doesn’t mean they know everything.
We all get a view of life but it is limited by our experience so far. Our understanding of experiences, our development as personalities seem complete at each point in our lives. Then later on, as we experience more we make adjustments to our...