I promise that this post will not be a trip down some philosophical rabbit hole where we get lost in the mind of Friedrich Nietzsche. On the contrary, I am going to share some personal development insights I've extracted from a simple, yet life-altering idea that he conceptualized. It's called Perspectivism.
Simply put, Nietzsche's basic idea is that there can be no objective reality because thoughts and beliefs are always limited by an individual's perception. The "truth" is always personal rather than objective. The big idea that comes out of this is that (get ready to have your mind blown), there is no absolute truth. Instead, truths are something that can only be known from your incomplete and fragmented perspective.
If you want to understand how easily we assume our point of view is the whole picture, read "One Shocking Story and Two Personal Development Lessons From 'The Usual Suspects' Movie." While the debate over absolute versus relative truth dates back much farther than Nietzsche's era, I love Perspectivism's take on it because it is graspable by anyone.
Before I go into what I consider Perspectivism's two main principles, I want to distinguish the difference between perception and perspective. The online Merriam Webster dictionary states that:
Perception is "a result of perceiving" or "a quick, acute, and intuitive cognition." In other words, it's how our senses interpret the world or how it is fed to us. It's essentially a non-conscious processing of the world.
Perspective means "to look through, to see clearly." It originates from the same word used for an optical glass. In other words, it is a conscious choice about the way you see the world. For example, you can choose to wear rosy-colored glasses or muddied ones that paint the world in a negative light.
Two Principles of Nietzsche's Perspectivism
One of the basic principles of Perspectivism is that you can't be in two places at once. The laws of space and time place a very big limitation on your perception of events. Otherwise, why would we need more than one referee at Super Bowl 44 next Sunday. Even remote viewers and psychics can't be everywhere at once.
The second principle is that we are mentally limited by our preprogrammed beliefs and preconceived notions. We are a product of our unique upbringing and culture. Gandhi expressed the power of this phenomenon when he said, "Three quarters of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would finish if people were to put on the shoes of their adversaries and understood their points of view." This quote from Indian philosopher and nonviolent activist Mahatma Gandhi is just as relevant today as it was during his life, and I am writing this on the 62nd anniversary of his death.
Philosophy, Like Everything, Must Come Back to Language (As I See It)
Since words are the only concrete instrument we have to point at the world, language is at the heart of both "truth" and Perspectivism. The truths may be communicated through poetry, religion or quantum physics, but the essential truth of something can't be universally proven through non-verbal communication (yet). Literary theorist, Hazard Adams, articulates this notion with pinpoint accuracy: "If everything is always already in the web of language, then there is nowhere to stand outside of language to employ the so-called object of discussion." Can you say "trapped in the 'The Matrix.'" For a visual representation of this idea, think of a puppy (us) endlessly chasing its tail (truth) that it can never catch up to. If truth is locked in the web or matrix of language, then it stands to reason that absolute truth cannot transcend the limits of your unique and personal viewpoint.
Making Perspectivism Useful
So how can you and I use Perspectivism on a daily basis. One of Zen Choices' core beliefs is that in order to become more aware of our own limiting perspectives, we should add new ones. That's exactly what Nietzsche has taught me.
Interconnectedness Flourishes with Perspectivism
Perspectivism fits with my view of the world as interconnected. Instead of instantaneously labeling things through my personal and cultural filters, I can choose to think ‘what’s their truth?’ By taking this vantage point, all beliefs and views can be respected equally. We have all experienced or seen what happens when one group believes its perspective is superior to another. It often tries to dominate the other. Just watch Lord of the Flies to see this behavior in action.
One of the possibilities with Perspectivism is that you can do your best to walk a mile (or even a few yards) in another person's shoes, rather than letting your non-conscious perception of a situation run the show. Two or more people can still agree on a truth, as long as they don't impose their values on others. This outlook opens the door for awareness of being interconnected to a larger whole. Perspectivism helps dethrone the evolutionary tendency toward domination (ie. Nazism) with a more adaptive sense of cooperation (ie. Buddhism).
Perspectivism Puts the Brakes on Rush Judgments
I don't use Nietsche's theory to wrestle with colossal size truths like who created the Cosmos. However, when it comes to people and events, I'm on the same page as Nietzsche. When I catch myself or others judging, speaking, thinking or otherwise leaning into a rigid opinion, I put on my Perspectivism glasses. I start using my imagination to explore what beliefs (conscious or non-conscious) they or I might be filtering the world through. I now find myself quickly shifting to another's perspective with the intention of understanding him or her better.
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