Your point of view is a vital component in how you see the world. It impacts how you feel, what you do, who you hang with. You may not control a lot of things around you, but you certainly do have control over your perspective and positions.
Take Waikiki. Some see it as a haven bustling with visitors at a hectic pace. Others see it as a still-local change of pace, an opportunity for good food, entertainment, and a brilliant sunset as one peers down the coastline toward the leeward side.
Or the Pali Highway. Some view it as the conduit allowing you to get from town to the windward side and vice versa. Others see its majestic grandeur as a vista where one can see awe-inspiring sights and a sunrise and a partial sunset on the same day.
Pick your side in government affairs; many people do. Government doctrines may be perceived as a reminder that freedom is not free as “the state” tells us what to do far too often, but others view governance as democracy’s necessary safety net to help ensure that (more) people don’t fall through cracks and maybe get helped to hopefully propel them forward.
A new ruling regime might strike fear into the hearts of many, while others see change as reassuring and an opportunity for growth and correction on many levels. And every two or four years, somebodies feel vindicated and reassured while others wring their hands. With far too much blathering, grandstanding, and half-truthing going on incessantly on social media (which many people rely on to learn what’s happening, yet don’t), you get more “help” than ever nowadays on how to shape your perspective, rationalization, and reality.
Simply acknowledging that perspectives differ and learning to accept that people come at things from different viewpoints based on their backgrounds, wants, needs, and unseen scars might help you to understand that there’s usually a broader picture, whatever the issues are. And when in doubt, remember, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” (Daniel Patrick Moynihan)
While your perspectives might not necessarily broaden, simply accepting that others may not bring the same vision (or lack thereof) that you bring to a discussion might allow you to lighten up, empathize, and spend more time focusing on that which you can- and should- control; which starts with yourself.
Think about it…