My thoughts are inspired by a Daily Galaxy article today, Astronaut’s ‘Lightbulb Moment’ in Space Reveals Humanity’s Biggest ‘Lie’s. Ignoring the obvious clickbait character of the title, I read the article, which is about the importance of perspective. A less sexy summary of the article might go like this: “Seeing the Earth from the vantage point of space provides a different perspective that should lead to a change in priorities.”
The photo associated with the article illustrates the idea of perspective: that an astronaut viewing the earth from space, seeing the earth from the perspective of distance, hits home in a way that few of us have experienced. This is a perspective few of us have the privilege of attaining. We can imagine what it is like to view the earth from this perspective, but actually viewing the earth from this perspective is more impactful than imagining it.
I can only speculate on this, as I have not experienced it. Even viewing the astronaut’s perspective in a photo, though, hits home in a different way than simply imagining it. This is because our perspective (where we sit in relation to a thing) matters.
Perspective is critically important for finite creatures such as ourselves because we view everything from “where we sit”. We necessarily have a limited perspective. Our perspectives are limited by our location in space/time, geography, and position.
Our perspectives are also limited by our sociology, culture, education, worldview, personal experiences and a host of other physical and metaphysical factors. Many of these factors are external to us (like sociology, culture, and education). Many of these factors are more internal to us, like worldview, experience, and individual psyches (for lack of a better descriptor).
Our perspective can “shift”, as the article states, as we change “location”, experience new things, and view things from a different “angle”. Thus, a change in vantage point provides a potential change in perspective – a change in how we view the world and prioritize things.
“Walking a mile in another’s shoes” speaks to the kind of shift we experience when we gain a different vantage point. Walking a mile in another’s shoes speaks to the impact of experiencing a difference of perspective, and not just considering it abstractly.
Ronald Garan, the astronaut identified in the article, “was struck by the stunning beauty and fragility of Earth’s thin atmosphere” as he viewed the Earth from the distance of space. The reality of the earth’s beauty and fragility is nothing new, but the actual experience of viewing the earth from such a distance hit him in a more visceral way than simply knowing these things intellectually.
Tethered to the small oasis of a space station on the edge of the infinitely vast regions of a dark, cold, and apparently lifeless universe, Garan was struck by the thinness of the Earth’s atmosphere that harbors all the living beings on its surface. Experiencing the small and vulnerable bubble we call Earth from the yawning chasm of space, Garan gained new appreciation of the need for humans to prioritize care and stewardship of this highly privileged planet.
Perspective and its impact on us is not just a matter of physical location. Another person sitting immediately next to Garan with the same view of Earth might have “missed” what Garan “saw” because perspective is more than just physical location.
Continue reading “Perspective, The Universe, and God”
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