From A Certain Point of View

From A Certain Point of View:

The extraordinary events of the last 150 years have brought about dramatic changes to the lives of Earth's species, from organic to inorganic, intelligent or under development (let's start by inferring that even simple organisms can evolve and achieve what to that species is incredible). To be sure, there have been numerous examples of brutality, indifference and incredulity about what has occurred across our globe. A healthy skepticism is invited, but rigorous adherence to a belief structure that has been shown to be flawed is discouraged and perhaps even detrimental to all.

From A Certain Point of View is designed to provide a re-fusion of facts, accepted scientifically supported data and the above mentioned healthy skepticism.

Much of what we know or are aware of today is often colored by perspective. The ability to overcome this inherent bias interlaced intricately with interpersonal communications can be difficult.

To borrow a phrase from the Tom Cruise film, "A Few Good Men", it is imperative to all of us that we focus more on what we can prove and not on what we believe. Belief structures are primarily subsets of perspectives and therefore subject to the whims of interpretation. In today's academic environs, college faculty and administrators lament the continuing devolution of critical thinking as the demand for specialization has eroded such a capability or at least narrowed its use too far beyond the borders of that specialization.

From a certain point of view, climate change, racial inequalities, social support infrastructures, and their opposites all seem injurious. It is not prudent to so easily dismiss the many facets of these programs without exploring and critically analyzing their impacts. As a society we are inundated with information that shapes our biases (not always kindly or benevolently) into the actions we take throughout our daily lives. We witness children covered in the residue from bombed out buildings or we see individuals suffering the loss of life through what can be seen as careless indifference. This is itself not a judgment, but merely an interpretation. How we react to these events speaks volumes about how our biases are shaped.

Perhaps it would be wise to look closely at one's personal biases. Why do I dislike anyone? What fear would drive such a statement? I often disagree with a lot of what is opined on the networks and news outlets and it is with some degree of difficulty that I have to remind myself that opinions on television are perhaps just as wrong as some of my own are on many topics. Herein lays the point, my opinions aren't wrong, nor are they correct, they are simply words without a pedigree if I cannot support them with observable, repetitive and confirmable supporting opinions.

To whit, please take the time to peruse the allegory by Plato about 'The Myth of the Cave'.

Plato

With that small step, we enter a different realm, a new dimension of who we think we are and how our perspectives make us into who we are.