We are, most of us, trapped in an ‘if this, then that’ kind of seeing modality…a what you see is what you get way of observing the world. But, we know that ‘this’ is not always followed by a clearly defined ‘that’. We know things aren’t always what they seem. So why do some of us tend to take things at surface value and never get to a place of asking…wait a minute…how else can I look at this? ‘What else could it be’, if this, then what else? If this, then why not that?
What you see is shaped and defined by how you look, and how you look is influenced by many things, some being how conscious or alert you are when you are seeing the ‘it thing’, what judgments you bring, what culture you are looking ‘from’, as I’ve said, your gender, your upbringing, your history, society, the way your brain is wired to perceive and interpret and so on. All of these and more color the lens of your perception. How you see is also influenced by intention and intention or purpose is a choice. Choose to see with a fresh eye unburdened by pre-conceived, habitual notions or impressions, often times not originally your own.
Only part of our observation mechanism can be blamed or credited to our upbringing. An interesting study by Blakemore and Cooper which speaks to the possible influence of upbringing on our world-view, is an experiment done with kittens. Those kittens selectively raised without horizontal lines in their environment could not see horizontal lines as they matured; sticks placed horizontally, horizontal edges and so on. Their visual neurons did not respond to the horizontal. They actually fell off edges of raised surfaces with edges defined horizontally. Those raised without vertical lines in their worlds had the same issues with vertical objects in their environment. Now, this was a group of kittens but you get the point. Our early years have huge impact. The good news is they eventually relearned to shift their perspectives and to see those lines for what they were. We too can remove perceived barriers that get in the way of broadening our perspectives. However, one needs to be conscious of the barriers in the first place.
If we are lucky we were raised to explore beyond the obvious with a kind of skeptical optimism. We turned things over for the phantom thing that would bring original thought to bear. We were encouraged to ask, ask, ask. Like I said…if we were lucky. Little kids are incredibly good at asking why…until of course, their curiosity is squelched by the ‘expert’ authority who could be all of eight. . “Stop asking so many questions”, they are sadly told. I don’t think we stop wondering about a lot of things. I do believe we quit asking ‘why’ out loud, the reasons for which I’ll address later.
There is tremendous potential in noticing life especially between the lines, behind the shadows and beyond the obvious. It puts us in closer touch with our relationships to the things around us. Consider your own relationship to the world around you and even within you…particularly to those aspects that are less evident…maybe your feeling tone in certain environments, ‘vibes’ you get…which are as much a part of your ‘observation’ system as anything. If you’ve tended to live in distraction…TV,video games, smart phones, shopping…the doing-ness of life …you may have to chill out, quiet down, and go looking for those parts of you with which you’ve lost touch….the parts that would even notice your relationship to the world around you at all.
Remember, this is about noticing. Seeing your life fully…getting to the end of it having really seen it…and on the way having tapped into the cosmic pot of stuff that inspires. It is by really seeing that we capture the nuance of a situation and by so doing enhance our connection, our empathy….and a more compassionate spirit.
So, noticing life between the lines…that place where those who create ‘stuff’ and new ideas hang out…that is where the power lies and the magic resides. It is not the private domain of those who create; artists, musicians, composers, designers or entrepreneurial geniuses. The encouraging thing is that no matter how you are wired up, if you are a logical, linear person who thought you could never become spontaneous, sensitive to nuance, or create your way out of a wet paper bag, you can teach yourselves to morph into a brainiac who has freed the wild child within, Now…THAT is power.
“Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.”
S. Johnson
Next post: We are very good at not noticing that we are not noticing.