A New Perspective

Sophie donned a pair of red-tinted glasses. Everything she saw was the same as it was before she put on the glasses, except it was red instead of its original color. The way Sophie saw the world through the red-tinted glasses can be compared to the way humans see the world every day. Everything may physically look the same to everyone, but every individual person has their own unique way of interpreting what they see. Humans are limited by their own frame of mind. Philosophy is meant to expand one’s view of the world. However, philosophy can only go so far. There are some limitations on the mind that are permanent; we cannot see the world from the perspective of another living being. We can think about how it would feel to be someone else, but we cannot actually exist as they do. Time and space are uniquely human ideas that limit our ability to perceive the world, but there is nothing we can do about that, for we cannot choose to disregard these elements of life. According to Kant, everything that we know about the world that is the same for everyone, such as the law of gravity, is true for humans, but not necessarily to every object or being. Our own view of life may be flawed, but we will never know that because our view is all we have on which to base our ideas. However, it is important to consider the perspective of others in some cases. Another perspective to be considered is the scale of one’s own problems compared to the enormity of the world population. Thinking about the amount of people in the world, and the span of the universe, my own small problems do not seem so daunting. Looking at the “big picture” instead of details is another way to see more through the metaphorical glasses that hinder everyone’s vision. I would say that listening and considering the thoughts and opinions of others more carefully could help me “see” better and gain more perspective on a smaller scale. One person’s perspective of life is not enough to formulate a good view. In some ways the glasses are permanent for everyone, but anyone who tries will be able to see more clearly by thinking of life on different levels and from different perspectives.