What does it mean to be good or bad? Evil or pious? True or false? These are concepts that all children, ideally are taught by their parents. From a very young age we are shown what to do and not to do. We are told its wrong to steal and right to give. We are told its good to tell the truth and bad to lie. But, what if these concepts, that are suppose to govern our everyday lives are simply matters of perception. What if there is no right and wrong, only choices.
There are defining times when there is a clear cut right and wrong in our society. We call these laws. They are decided by the people whom we elect to be our representatives in a government. Collectively we, as a society, have decided that some things make the group's lives better. Don't kill each other, don't steal someones things, and be honest. We decided a long time ago that these, and many others, make all of our lives better. But, what if not everyone thinks that is right?
In this world, one of the greatest "truths" is perception is reality. How you perceive the world is your reality. This might seem a heady concept, but we experience this phrase all the time. If you think, or perceive, something to be true, then it is. It really is as simple as that. I learned this at a very young age. You see, when I was young I discovered that if my mother, sorry Mom, thought my room was clean, then to her mind at least, it was. Her reality was, that my room was clean. She believed my room was clean, even if all I had done was hide the toys I was supposed to put away. Her reality was what she believed and what she understood.
Think of it like this, a scientist only accepts what he or she believes to be fact. Facts are, by the way, empirical data that cannot be disproved. It is a fact that gravity is pervasive throughout the universe. It is a fact that the earth rotates at a speed that causes the illusion of the sun rising and falling every 24 hours. These are things that you cannot refute. We all accept these as "truth". But truth is a misinterpretation of the concept. While facts are empirical and can be proven, truth, like so many things is in the eye of the beholder.
Truth is something you must believe in. It is reliant on the individuals beliefs, perceptions, and upbringing. Truth can be refuted and challenged. If this were not so religion wouldn't work. People must believe that the church is telling them the truth. We must believe that the government, be it local, state or the federal, is telling us the truth. Truth requires trust, facts require proof. Think back to your science and math classes, no one ever challenged that 2 + 2 = 4. Or that when you heat ice it melts to water, then changes to steam. These could be proved. Now think about that government class. So much of what you were taught was based on what the government told the people. There is a reason why our government has the policy of changing out people on a regular basis and it is because, after a while the public can lose faith in the elected officials. We must believe that our representatives are doing the "right" thing by us.
The best way to explain this rather deep concept is with the "coin" and the "ball" metaphor. When you look at a coin you see one side at time. It is almost impossible to see both sides of the coin at the same time. No matter how hard you try you can only see head, tails, or the edge. This is how we should view truth. Hold out a coin so that "heads" faces you. Now have someone stand opposite you and look and the other side of the coin. What do you see? What do they see? Chances are you won't see the same thing. This is an example of how perception changes your reality. When asked what's on the coin you will receive to very different answers. One person will respond heads and the other tails. This can be further exemplified in the "ball" metaphor.
Imagine a ball that looks like the earth suspended in 3D space. Now put a ring of people, shoulder to shoulder, around the ball. When asked what they see each person will respond a little differently that the person next to them would. Those who are directly across from each other will have very different answers. Now say we fill up the space around the ball in all three dimensions with people. Each and every one of those people will see the ball a little bit differently. Even the people right next to each other will not be able to see the same exact thing. Now if we apply this to life and society we can begin to understand no two people see the same thing in the same way. That is what, in my opinion, causes so much strife.
It is up to each and every one of us to understand that, no matter which side of the coin we are looking at, its the same coin. We must recognize that, when we feel very strongly about an issue or event there is someone else looking at the other side of that issue or event. A very wise man once said "You can never understand you own argument until you completely understand that of you opponent". (Thanks Dad) A simpler way to say that is to "Walk a mile in another man's shoes".
If you truly want to understand your perspective on life then you must see the world from as many points of view as possible. It would be almost impossible to do that and not be changed on some level. Change is not bad. Putting yourself though that kind of crucible will help to strip away preconceptions and possibly some of your negative ways of thinking about a given subject. But its not enough to look at it from their side. You must seek to understand why they see it that way. You have to want to stand in their shoes and experience life as they do. You must empathize and not just sympathize with them. Then and only then will you begin to see the world through their eyes. And once you fully understand how someone else see the world then, maybe just maybe, you won't need to make everyone see the world in only your light.
And to the people who don't want to change...that's ok, because soon your kind won't be here anymore. You will die and so to will your thoughts of hatred, bigotry, and selfishness. Those are not the ideas that make people great, nor are they the concepts on which this nation were built. We as Americans are supposed to be inviting to all regardless of creed, race, or financial status. We should never turn away those who need our help, but we also should not feel compelled to change the rest of the world to our likeness. The greatest weapon in our arsenal is education. We must seek to give every single person on the planet the information to make good decisions for themselves. Then let them make those decisions.
And maybe just maybe if we understand each other and how we all perceive the world in different ways we can find a we to live together without fear or malice.
Rosa Parks was never the problem, it was always the white people who had the problem...
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