Same Place, Different Angle

Have you ever stood, whether it is literally or figuratively, in the same place as someone and yet when you compared what you saw it was very different things?  Perhaps you each noticed different people or different tones of voice. Perhaps each of you picked up different verbal and non-verbal signals or nuances.  Maybe the same place you are standing has more than one problem, issue, or topic to focus on and each of you have been drawn to different ones.  Have you ever stood in that same place with someone and been amazed, or maybe frustrated, that what is being experienced isn't the same but in fact very different?

In a much simpler vein have you ever stood in the same exact place as someone and you both snapped a picture and when you looked at them you had both captured different perspectives of the same exact scene? My first trip to NYC we went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Walking around the island that is home to Lady Liberty my brother and I both spied a great shot for a picture. Without discussing it or perhaps even realizing we had both seen the exact same shot we stopped and each of us took a picture. We even crouched in a similar manner to get in the shot what we both had seen.  Our pictures came out the same but yet very different. He was somehow able to capture things about the shot that I didn't see or pick up on.

Take a look at the following pictures. They are of the same exact places but taken from different perspectives.  Meet me below after you look through the pictures. *wink*

Central Park, New York City

The Forbidden City, Beijing China

Hollywood Sign, California

Las Vegas Strip, Nevada

Little Mermaid, Copenhagen Denmark

Mona Lisa, The Louvre

Mont St. Michel, France

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Niagara Falls, New York/Canada

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Rock of Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Spain

Santorini, Greece

St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow Russia

Stonehenge, United Kingdom

The Acropolis, Athens Greece

The Alamo, Texas

The Arc de Triomphe, Paris

The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Germany

The Great Wall of China ends abruptly as soon as it reaches the ocean

The Pantheon of Rome, Italy

The Taj Mahal, India

I am fascinated by the above perspective pictures. Neither picture invalidates what is being looked at, it just provides a different angle, a different view, a different perspective on that (in the case of these pictures) landmark/historical marker.

This happens all the time in life and it is an opportunity for collaboration or conflict. I can't keep track of the number of times someone else and I have stood in the same place on an issue or something but we have had very different views of how to execute it or approach it or settle it. Does that mean that one of us doesn't have valid ideas, thoughts, etc? No, it just means that we are coming at it differently and for some reason, in our culture, if we do that then we must be at odds and gather people on sides and make some noise. Why? Why is that "a thing"? Why can't we agree to agree and agree to disagree and honor the other person's intentions and motivations as they have been expressed sincerely, passionately, and with a desire for improvement?  Why are we threatened when someone expresses a different perspective than we hold?  Expression is different than demanding by the way. When someone demands of me to hold their opinion, perspective, or ideology then I shut down, dig in my heels, and refuse to budge.  The same happens if I demand someone hold my opinions. Expressing and demanding are two very different approaches to differing thoughts.

Sometimes I have to take a step back to gain a clearer view. And sometimes I have to take a step forward to see something closer. There are times I need to stretch on to my tippy toes for a look and other times I have to crouch way down.  Distance and position determine the view I have and in order to have the most complete perspective I can, it's beneficial for me to do all I can to see it from every angle possible. The more angles I view something from, the more complete the picture is for me. That benefits me and those I interact with. Sometimes our pristine or sterile view of something needs to get a little filthy with a touch of reality.  If we have a messy perspective on something it could use a little shot of sterility. Both are okay because both remind us that there is a bigger story than what we know.

Next time you find yourself looking at someone or something and you are shoulder to shoulder with someone who is looking at the same thing but expressing a different perspective, try this; switch places.  Clear your mind, blink your eyes, do your best to remove what keeps you from seeing the fuller picture and look with new eyes, open mind, softened heart.

What do you see now?

*Perspective Photos found at this site.