Perspective and Understanding

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we see the world—not just what we see, but how we see it. Human perspective is such a powerful thing. It's like a lens we each carry, shaped by everything we've lived through—our childhoods, our beliefs, our fears, our wins and losses. And because each of us carries a different lens, it means we're often not looking at the same picture, even when we think we are.

This can be both beautiful and frustrating. On one hand, the diversity of perspective is what brings color and depth to human experience. It’s why art, conversation, and culture are so rich and complex. But on the other hand, when we stop trying to understand perspectives different from our own, things start to break down. Misunderstandings happen. People talk past each other (seriously a fault of mine that I am working on). We stop listening and start assuming. And the scariest part is, we may not even realize we’re doing it.

That’s why I feel more and more like this isn’t just a personal journey—it’s something we need to address together, as a community. We all live in shared spaces now. Whether it's our neighborhoods or online platforms, we're constantly bumping into people who think, feel, and live differently than we do. If we don't make space to understand each other, these interactions can quickly turn into conflict or avoidance. And that doesn’t help anyone.

Our institutions—schools, workplaces, governments—are built by people, and they reflect the values of the communities they serve. If our communities aren't grounded in understanding and empathy, then our systems won’t be either. That's why I think the effort to understand each other isn’t just about being a "good person"—it’s about creating a world where people can thrive without being judged or excluded just because their story looks different from the majority.

And it's more urgent now than ever. We’re facing problems—like climate change, inequality, and health crises—that don’t care where we come from or what we believe. Solving these things demands cooperation, and cooperation demands a level of understanding that goes beyond tolerance. We need to truly see each other.

Sometimes I wonder what it would look like if more of us approached life with curiosity instead of defensiveness. If we could pause before reacting, and ask, “What might they be feeling?” or “What might I be missing?” I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. I am really just learning how to leant into this whole thought process myself. It takes patience and humility, and sometimes it’s uncomfortable. But I think it’s worth it. Not just for the big world-saving reasons, but for the small everyday ones too. Relationships deepen. Communities become safer. People feel like they belong.

We learn empathy together. Kids watch how adults treat people who are different from them. Friends pick up on how we handle disagreement. And if we’re willing to be honest and self-aware, we can teach each other to see more clearly. We can gently call each other out, open up space for different voices, and move through the world with just a little more grace.

If we don’t—if we continue seeing through narrow lenses without ever adjusting the focus—we risk becoming more isolated, more divided, more afraid. That’s not the world I want to live in. I want to believe we can do better. I want to be part of a community that chooses understanding, even when it’s messy.

So, I’m starting with myself. Trying to listen more. Trying to slow down. And hoping that, little by little, that energy spreads—because real change always starts with the way we choose to see.