Do you see the world as it is? Or, do you see the world as you are?
Generating new possibilities for living and working
When we are faced with a problem or an area of life that is not flowing as we would like it to, we often seem to focus on the “world out there” as if the problem exists independently of us and how we see any of the problem, the world or ourselves.
The maxim “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” (Anonymous, possibly Kant*) is oft-quoted (eg. Anais Nin, Steven Covey) when authors explore the idea that we may each see the world differently.
I love this quote. It ponders the nature of the “the world” (things and events) and the nature of ourselves as observers of the world (which includes ourselves). If we each see things as we are then we each see them differently because we are unique individuals with unique histories, each living in somewhat different “realities”. Our personal reality, while unique, will share some significant elements with the people around us, in part because we have similar biological structures (we share being human), and to the extent that we have shared cultures and histories.
I find this notion exciting because it implies that how I see the world, and thus my experience of reality can change if I change only some aspect of how I…
