One of the reasons we are lazy about perspective is because we underestimate its power. We try to see more of the truth of the world around us. But it becomes overwhelming and confusing and we ask ourselves, “Does it really even matter? The world is what it is. Why should I bother with perspective?”
In a similar vein, we have this achy suspicion that all this talk about perception is a ruse, a clever way for us to lie to ourselves so that we feel better about the world we live in. We’re hesitant. We don’t want to be bamboozled and we don’t want to be delusional.
But perspective is both true and powerful. It changes our behavior. It informs our decisions. It influences the way we think and the way we think influences the way we act.
Many of us try to manipulate a “positive” perspective. And it is this very thing that causes us to try to manipulate positive outcomes, avoiding pain and side-stepping difficulty.
Pursuing perspective is not about shuffling through the deck until we find something we like. It is about chasing the truth, at all costs. And it is certain that the biggest deterrent to chasing the truth is realizing we won’t always like what we catch.
Yet, a true perspective is transformative. It is a significant domino in the line of meaningful and intentional living. If we discover a truer perspective, our circumstances might not change, but our lives will be forever transformed.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
– Galatians 5:13