Perspective

Date of session - 05 May 2018

The topic was perspective.  Wonderful term.  Has great potential to reduce interpersonal conflict.  The black and white movie clip was interesting. The same person has been interpreted in five different ways by five different people.  What was the margin of deviation from each other's view?  It ranged from a lady killer to a murderer.  However, the first person perspective identified his actions more of an assertive person.  Ideally uni-perspective can reduce or remove conflicts to a great extent.  Whether there can be any uni-perspective at all?  If so, when can there be a uni-perspective?  Do we always need uni-perspective?  These were the thoughts that occupied me after the video that was played in the class.

Lets consider the case of Usain Bolt.  He won gold in 100m at 2016 Olympics, with a time of 9.81 sec.  Lets ask the same people in the movie clip about Usain Bolt winning the gold medal.  Will they have different perspectives?  My guess is, all will agree that the gold medal winner is Usain Bolt.  

Probably we all agree on the following aspects, unambiguously:-

  (a) Distance is 100m

  (b) Time measurement is constant  (60 sec in a minute)

  (c) The time will be measured only during the 100m distance

  (d) The person who cross 100m with least time is the winner

  (e) The winner is the one awarded gold medal

  (f)  All are male runners

  (g) No one is handicapped

  (h) And so on...

If everyone agrees that Usain Bolt is the winner of 100m gold then, I guess we have a uni-perspective.  There is absence or reduced level of conflict.  All in agreement! Voila, peaceful, but dumb world :).

When the goal is defined, opportunity is equal, measurement is consistent, and more importantly there is only one method to achieve the goal, there is a possibility of moving towards uni-perspective.  

Well, in real world, this is not true, a gesture in one culture is seen as acceptable, where as the same gesture is not acceptable in another.  So, there is no one way of doing the same thing and isn't it boring as well?

Take away:-

The world is not a level playing field and there is always innovative ways to do the same thing.  Basically, when you are the one judging, in general, it is worth the effort in understanding things from a positive perspective and reaching out to explore the ambiguous areas.  When on the other side, accept people for their ignorance, if you are misunderstood.

Explore to understand, assume to stay ignorant.

Thanks
K Lakshmanan