So much in life depends on one’s perspective. I had a good reminder of this fact when traveling home for the holidays. My wife and I drove instead of flying on this trip, and our 600 mile route took us through several major cities and a lot of empty countryside. One thing that stayed consistent during our trip was the nature of the other drivers on the road… they were traffic hazards!
First, were the maniacs who seemed hell-bent on passing everything on the road (in other words, the drivers who were driving faster than me). Then were the menaces who impeded everyone’s progress with their infuriating slowness (these were the ones driving slower than me). I mean, come ON people! Is it that hard to pick up on the fact that I’m the one who always drives at exactly the perfect speed? Can’t everyone see that if they just drove sanely (i.e. exactly as I do) that we would all be better off?
I suppose that it was about halfway through our trip when it struck me that the preconceptions that I was forming about the other drivers (those nuts!) who were sharing the road with me might be just a bit skewed. To the maniacs, I was probably one of the slow menaces… and to the slow-pokes, I could very well be seen as one of the maniacs. Every driver’s perceptions depended upon how other’s driving compared to their own.
Some food for thought… In how many situations in life other than driving does this hold true? I think that it is very common any time we encounter a new situation or person. To a certain extent, we can’t help but view these encounters from the perspectives with which our past experiences have left us. However, if we’re aware of this effect… well, maybe we can give the maniacs and the menaces (whether human or situational) that we will inevitably encounter the benefit of the doubt. Maybe we can avoid jumping to conclusions too quickly. Perhaps we’ll even recall that there are multitudes of different perspectives from which we can choose to view a given person or situation.
In the coming weeks, with the insights from my trip fresh in mind, I plan to maintain greater awareness of the perspectives from which I am viewing the people and situations around me. I have a feeling that it will be an eye-opening experience.
Until next time… Still seeking success,
Mike
