“I See!” Said the Blind Man

“I See!” Said the Blind Man

©Allen Merritt (2016)

This may sound like a silly question, but what do you see when you look at something?

My best guess is that you probably see whatever you see in context with how you see it.  I know it may first seem silly, but consider what you see may not be what another person sees. And, if you see it one way and another person sees it another way, then there’s proof that there is more than one side to every story.

I bring this up to aide in understanding the interesting impacts of perspective in our lives. What we see or think we see is based on individual interpretation as often as not. In knowing more about this we can further learn about ourselves and create more positivity in our lives. Because, let’s face it, other people can bug us! They can bring us down, demean and belittle us and create negative impact.

I have always had an interest in human behavior and studied psychology to educate myself on the matter. One of my classes was titled Sensation and Perception. It was fascinating to the extent that everything we think we see one way may actually be seen in a multitude of fashions. In considering the subject of perspective I took it a step further and conducted a few minor experimental studies to see what people were seeing compared to what they thought they saw. For example, I went to work one day with about five different outfits. Throughout the day I changed into new outfits just to see if anyone noticed. Believe it or not, many people did not see what was actually going on when I questioned them about it toward the end of the shift. Amazing!

Now that may not seem like anything connected to negativity, but it does demonstrate how one person may behave differently than another and that we cannot jump to conclusions based on initial response without further investigating the circumstances. Things are not always what they appear to be, right?

This is probably half the reason we have conflict going on in the world as we know it today. People make assumptions and judgment calls based on a situation and then blanket that information out onto groups of people. And, many time these types of conflicts (real or otherwise) cause negativity to inhabit our thinking and response systems. If we consider the alternatives, we may find a better way to respond that benefits the better part of the whole. That’s positivity in action.

After college, I began conducting a few workshops on assertiveness and understanding perspective. It is a great subject toward enhancing out positive point of view, because it opens our eyes to more possibilities. To that end, I would like to encourage everyone to consider more possibilities about what they are experiencing throughout their day, especially in relation to other people who are still somehow bugging us or trying to beat us down. Too much negativity just generates more of the same. Misery loves company!

You never know what someone is thinking, feeling, what they know and understand, so maybe turning things around can start with a vote of confidence and a little more communication and common courtesy. Quite possibly, the Golden Rule of doing unto others is not absolutely dead. That would be a good thing.

So here are some questions to ask yourself the next time you get pulled into a rabbit hole:

What is really happening here?

Is there something going on I do not know about or understand?

Should I listen and observe more?

Should I wait it out a bit?

Should I take a break from this situation and allow breathing room?

May I express a concern to ascertain more?

What can I do to bring about positive change?

I think the idea behind the blind man seeing albeit still blind is about finding truth and enhancing understanding which leads us down the path to better understanding and a peace beyond any and all understanding. That is, if we can ever really understand anything. Anyway, as I think on it, I feel getting beyond a negative circumstance is not always about walking away or yelling back. Adding fuel to the fire allows the circumstances to get further out of control as often as not. 

Let this week be about finding new ways of looking at things and greater possibilities. 

Go out and find the positive in everything!

Cheers!