Perspective is about being caught up in the realm of the here and now: More or else it is about oneself and of how one may be the controller of events and where this is not so, the subject is angered and emit hatred about which further cause undue frictions. The other in this equation is left aside, neglected and all about the self that one is. As long one is all right, it , it matters little what happened to the other but try and put the shoe on the other side and one is all up in arms as if life is and should always be about oneself to the exclusion of others.Or it can be said that nothing matters but the self, that arrogant self which wants all for itself whilst depriving the other of being. A sad state of affairs indeed when considering that isolating or curbing within oneself is never an option since the whole idea of curbing within or withdrawal onto oneself always is spurious precisely because we are always with others and or link to one another.
A petty self on the move with no regard to anyone but taking note of only one’s wellbeing emanating ideas of “I am all right Jack” in operation. A case of trying to abide by the separatist mode which is a non goer in the world as one knows it. All that as seen from a negative aspect but try seeing it from its opposite and what may then emerge is more comprehension and understanding so that one begins to appreciate the other. It is the ambiguous nature of perspective where one starts to adds comprehension to the equation rather than dismissal.
A case of trying to view the warmth in the other and just like oneself the latter has a point all the time or it is ever about being there as a scenario unfolds in the praxis of being often impossible to witness. May one always perceives what is about? Or may one miss the opportunity to see the what is as unfolding in front of the subject. Or moving on from a mere pettiness onto a realm of beyond perspective and verily appreciation of any and every other.
The understanding that what lies ahead is a way to see that every other has a view and the subject only lives in a mode above and beyond that superficial which may cause subjugation to be that one is not and in this process one is a mere victim of the ways which coerces one to be that which one is not. To be able to acknowledge and deeply admire the non me for what they are is an exercise into the dialectics of life where all one may perceive in admiration or awe of each and every other: A kind of moving away from the norm of the temporal where judgements are often passed at regular intervals aiming at proving one’s worth at the same time as the other’s frailty whilst the fact of the matter is that it is more of a question of witnessing one’s own fragility as opposed to being valiant.The call is precisely to acknowledge the being-ness of the other in its full grandeur and or indeed it is all about seeing the sameness in the other as in one self and so no downgrading whilst putting oneself on a pedestal.
To be sure, not to do so may mean that one is back in the realm of the negative where what matters again is no other but oneself where one not only is only concern about the me but abhors the former: Life indeed is much about viewing it from the perspective of the subject. Whatever the other does is of no consequence nor is that appreciated even to one’s benefit. An almost moronic way at looking at things where all is dismissed but for one’s being. In this vein, what matters again is that petty self regardless whilst trying to negate others into anonymity.
Last week on a rainy day, I was driving along a narrow road. The rain had stopped but clearly what was visible were puddles of water scattered about. I braked relentlessly as far as I could to avoid throwing chunks of water on an oncoming pedestrian. Momentarily, I was delighted about my awareness but a car being a car once it passed through even at some 15-20 kmh must have caused caused what seemed like lots of water to the other as I heard a loud and scream swearing aiming at me or driver of the car!
My personal delight was then questioned by the pedestrian who must have seen the other in me as being unruly and non caring. If only, he would have known what I did in that situation. Or, I wonder what reaction would I as the driver of the car have got if I would have carried on at normal speed of 60 kmh without slowing! All a question of perspective or if you want each to his/hers agenda which is of paramount importance whilst in the process brutalising any other who comes in the way!
What matters is that brute self who has no concern for any other but one’s own way of being, a way that is selfish, ignorant, bitter, immersed in hatred whilst emitting anger about. With this being so, all else is relegated to non entity but for the subject and a sad way to be which merely accounts for oneself. Added to this is that one also permits one to abuse any other and sometimes not only verbally but in every other way as others are seen to be subservient to oneself. A state where only the ‘me’ matters. In this sense, the other’s perspective is well discounted.
Clearly it is a question of comprehension or understanding the other which simply is not there as one is too immersed by what is the most obvious or a way which brutalises the other first. To be sure this echo of Covey’s habit 5 ‘Seek to understand first before being understood’ …. a worthy point to be noted as one always blames the other for one’s shortcomings instead of proactively taking responsibility. The ways of the world are such that arrogance always rules and add to it anger and one is firmly in the realm of the superficial where what matters is ‘me-ism’ par excellence. To rid of such a mode is not that easy whilst equally it may not be that arduous. It is verily about being authentic in a for ever challenging world.