Be sure to "Like"
Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
I have been thinking about perspective a lot lately. In the context that we don't all see things the same way. Now, don't get me wrong, there are universal truths that do not require agreement or disagreement. Racism and Fascism are evil and we must all work to stop them when they pop up and to dismantle the institutions where they have been allowed to thrive for generations.
No what I am thinking about is how an image or a video can elicit a strong and visceral response in one group of people, and yet, be met with apathy or dismissal by another group. It is easy to come to the conclusion that those in the latter group have no empathy and that they lack the human qualities of compassion and decency. And, while I don't outright deny that such people exist, I do call into the question that it is as widespread as the divisions in this country would indicate.
So, how else to explain it? Maybe it is perspective. (I am not even sure if that this correct word so let me explain).
My best friend growing up used to pose philosophical questions whenever I would spend the night. One such question was, "How do we know that we all see the color green the same? In other words, how to we learn colors - someone points to a color and says, "Green"and I eventually learn that that color is green. But, for all I know the person who taught me "green" may perceive that color as I perceive the color that I learned was "Red". And, I would have no way of knowing.
Now, before you come at me medical or scientific examinations of optical receptors or whatever, my larger point is that when an image comes on my phone or computer screen - my eyes take it in and my mind perceives what it is I am seeing, and if what I perceive is disturbing I react.
So, I look at pictures of the President. and I see the bad bronzing job, the sick expression, the dead eyes, etc. A Trump supporter sees the same picture and sees something else. My thoughts here are totally outside of disagreements about policies or even specific actions. To me, it is somewhat easy to understand disagreements over policies or opposition or support for certain actions.
But, why do I see a video tape of police violence and get angry, while someone else sees that same video and is unmoved. Could it be that they are seeing something different from what I am seeing? That it is filtered by their experiences and biases. And if that is true, do I need to be mindful of times when my experiences and biases are affecting my perception.
I don't know what this all means. I just feel like at some point, we have to find a way for most Americans to come together at least minimally. There will always be disagreements (even intense ones), but the level of division we have doesn't seem like it can be tenable long-term.
It is Friday and time for another Featured Friday Playlist. I hope you enjoy, and please follow the Playlist on Spotify! As our habit, we will review the first part of the list below, and the rest over the next week.
Featured Friday Playlist
