Sunday, August 26, 2012

Turn it Up...or Down, Does It Really Even Matter?

When you turn the air conditioning up, it gets colder.  You've increased the output being dispensed by the unit, thus increasing the flow of cool air through the vents.  Some people, however, would say in order to make the house colder, you turn the air down.  You physically push the down button on the thermostat, which results in a temperature drop.

This is a matter of perception.  Not to be confused with Inception, starring Tom Hardy and that dude from Titanic, though it can be equally as mind-bottling.  We all see certain aspects of the world around us through uniquely different sets of eyes, and that makes coming to the same conclusions about things, even when presented with the very same information, inherently impossible.

A girl standing in front of her bathroom mirror with her cell phone may perceive it adds an extra amount of sexy to the picture if she purses her lips out as far as they can go. Others may think the only thing it adds to is the list of reasons why they don't hang out with said girl.

Growing up, if I were to wear a hat to a church service, I'd be asked by a least one person to remove it before I even made it to the sanctuary.  They'd say something like, "Take your hat off while you're inside the church" or "Hats don't belong in God's House".  Interesting perspective, I'd think, considering both "the church" and "God's House" are the people themselves rather than the building, and neither I nor my hat had any intention or desire to be inside any of them.

The cast of Real Housewives of New York may believe their combined thirty-two face lifts have kept them in the prime of life, while a portion of viewers tend to think the show is a competition for who can look the most like the Cowardly Lion.

Only nerds play Magic: The Gathering.

I'm sure there are people that think differently about the aforementioned examples, and that's fine because none of them are all that big of a deal...except the Magic Cards.  But perspective takes on more than one form.  There's the kind that don't matter, and there's the kind that do.

In an earlier post that can be viewed here, I made an observation about the significance of the rainbow and how it's come to mean something completely different.  A follower commented that it is a matter of perspective: while I see the rainbow as God's covenant to man, she sees it as a symbol of "free will" and "determination".  Well guess what, I happen to agree.  This is a matter of perspective, and we can come to our own conclusions on this issue.  But there's a deeper aspect to this that shouldn't be ignored, and that is the truth.  Regardless of the spiritual and emotional implications surrounding this particular perspective, one of us is right and one of us is wrong.  The rainbow is either a sign from God, or the Scripture is a lie.  In the end, depending upon which perspective you choose to take and which side proves itself to be true, the consequences/rewards can be very real.

Conditions such as alcoholism and depression are either a disease or a choice.  Abortion is either the destruction of a mass of cells or the murder of a living human being.  There either is a God or there isn't.  Your perceptions on issues such as these guide your decisions, and ultimately the way you live your life.  Unfortunately, there are too many out there that are prepared to take one side or the other based solely on their emotions and how it makes them and others feel, or how it justifies the things they want to do, rather than taking time to consider the truth of the matter.  If depression truly is a choice rather than a disease, no amount of pills is going to heal you of it.  If abortion truly is the killing of millions of unborn children, then we will all be held accountable for our stance on the issue.  If there truly is a God, then we will all meet him one day, and we'll be judged accordingly.

So then, should we tolerate an opposing perception of an issue that could very well hold such dire consequences?  Should we pass it off as a simple matter of perspective?  Or should we fervently hold to our convictions and speak out against views and actions that threaten our beliefs?  We're told that we must be tolerant of perspectives that oppose our own, and on some level, I agree...until the attempt is put forth to put those perspectives into action or law.  Once that happens, once we accept it, it is too late.  Our beliefs, our voices, count for nothing!

We can be understanding, we can pick our battles wisely, but we in no way have to accept or tolerate all perspectives of all people.  Acceptance of something implies you either agree or don't find it important enough to stand against it.  Tolerance of something implies that while you may not agree, your conviction on the matter is not strong enough to oppose it.

When all is said and done, it is our perceptions, our perspectives and beliefs that define us.  Are they important enough that you will take a stand for them?  Do you know enough of the sides that oppose you to speak intelligently against them?  Do they hold enough significance for you to even bother?

Well, I think I've rambled on long enough, and I can hear the theme song for Real Thundercats of Orange County coming from the living room.  I'm sure they're beautiful on the inside, though that's not a perspective I find important enough to spend any more time on.

6 comments:

  1. I always thought the saying was, "mind-boggling".

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    1. Haha, Kristin! I sat there and thought the same thing! :)
      Good post, Ryan!

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  2. Mind-bottling...you know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle.

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  3. Another fantastic post, Ryan. Keep standing up for what is right and righteous!

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  4. Hi Ryan! Enjoyed your post! some sentences made me think I was reading something from my own journal! Spooky! Needless to say I share the same perspective as you! God bless!

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    1. Thanks Antonia. Great minds think alike! Keep in touch.

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