In this article we will talk about the benefits of an objective perspective, or adopting an impartial “view from above”.
People tend to believe their unique worldview is the universal truth. Alternatively, we often think of things that conflict with our beliefs as false. When something is subjected to our senses, we naturally think about it as “true” or “false”. We are directed at the world and our senses lead us through it.
This is evidently problematic, as we all have different worldviews and accordingly different lives; therefore, there can be no universal truths. However, even though we all build our unique impressions of the world, we still exist together. As Stoics believe, it is in our nature to socialise and join forces in order to survive.
The clash between our self-made worlds can range from petty disagreements to full-scale wars. One might ask, how do we manage to survive when we are surrounded by all these misfortunes and vices? There is a fine line of rationality that binds us together. According to Stoics, this “fine line” is the most powerful thing in the universe – the mind (or soul). By nature we are mindful, not animalistic. Reasonable behavior is the quality of a sound mind and it stands as superior to base emotions.
Viewing the World From an Objective Perspective
Objects, people and events can be looked at from two perspectives: a subjective perspective, which is generally one-sided and biased, and an objective perspective, which allows us to examine the object in question from multiple viewpoints. A subjective perspective is based on having certain impressions about an object. For example, if you believe that all humans are evil, you only think that because an external event made you think that. You are affected by bias to think that way. In other words, your subjective perspective is affected by impressions from the outside world.
On the other hand, an objective perspective isn’t influenced by impressions. From an objective perspective, you will see that humans aren’t evil, because the idea of “evil” is subjective by nature. In other words, “evil” is a subjective impression we ascribe to things.
When facing the world with an objective perspective, things appear differently. First, there are no emotions to taint our perspective. Second, there is no “I”. A view from above is free from judgement and impressions. Through this perspective, our mind can achieve a level of profound thinking that is free from everyday troubles and discomforts.
This mindful view from above is the same for every human being. This purity of thought can bring you peace and tranquility in life. Looking at certain things, such as death, from a subjective standpoint will appear horrifying and dreadful, but from an objective perspective, death appears as a nothing more than a natural change.
Meditation – View Life From Above
Adopting an objective perspective is very important for a successful society. This kind of thinking liberates us from the suffocating pressure of our everyday impressions, and helps you to purify yourself of negative and painful thoughts. Due to the liberating nature of this view, it is often practiced among philosophers. As an important political figure and philosopher, Marcus Aurelius practiced this “view from above” for both theoretical and practical reasons:
“You can rid yourself of many useless things among those that disturb you, for they lie entirely in your imagination; and you will then gain for yourself ample space by comprehending the whole universe in your mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time, and observing the rapid change of every part of everything, how short is the time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the equally boundless time after dissolution”.
Marcus Aurelius
If you have persistent negative thoughts and impulses, anxiety attacks or nausea, this mental exercise can help you in many ways. You will learn to purify your biased perspectives and in the process retain stability of your mind.
If a specific thought is troubling you, try to perceive this experience from a more general perspective. If you didn’t get a job offer, don’t lament over that event. From an objective perspective, that job was meaningless. It was only an opportunity and many other opportunities will come in time. Viewing things from above makes everything very small and manageable.
You can repeat this exercise whenever you feel bad about something in order to rise above those emotions and see what is truly important. This practice guarantees your happiness in your mind and allows you to overcome insignificant thoughts and emotions.
