Expanding Your Perspective

One of the problems with paying close attention to TV news is that it tends to narrow your perspective of almost everything. Usually with news reports, we only hear one side of the story. It is almost impossible to report news stories with enough details for us to understand completely what is going on.

Now turn to TV talk shows. They are narrowly presented by choice. Depending on which side you prefer, you can watch all slanted programming.

In order to understand your world, you need to expand your perspective. For one thing, try to think in terms of long-term effects rather than short-term fixes. For example, I know that this recession has a very negative effect on most of us. But, can we think beyond the recovery and learn how to cope with a recovery? Can we look back into history and learn from how previous downturns have affected individuals?

Another example is thinking outside of your own culture. Of course, foriegn cultures have much different perspectives on matters than we do. They look at work differently, they may look at famiily differently. We even have cultural differences within our own country, our own state, our own neighborhood. Can we empathize with others in order to expand our own perspective.

Think of money. How much income makes you rich? Does it matter more how much that you earn or how much of it that you can keep?

Expand your perspective.