2.1 | what is your lens made of?
2.1 | what is your lens made of?
II | WORLDVIEWS
If you look at a lemon through blue-tinted lenses, what color is it? Green? No, the lemon is still yellow. It doesn’t change color because of our lenses. But the lenses can change your perception of color. All of us have a lens that we view life through. This lens – called a worldview – affects our perception of everything around us. This lens is the way we see the world. Most of us have an unintentional worldview or a worldview by default, so it can be hard to figure out what our worldview is.
We can better understand our current worldview by asking some basic questions:
Who are we? Essentially, who are we as human beings?
What is our fundamental problem? What is the core problem facing us and the world we live in?
What is the solution to that problem?
What is our primary moral duty? What is the height of goodness?
How should we live? What does it mean to live a good life?
What is truth?
Take some time right now and write down your answers to these questions as best as you can. Using those answers you will be able to determine your worldview with a little more clarity.
Why is this important? Think about optometry. I wear glasses, just like 75% of adults (according to the Vision Council). There are all different kinds of lenses. Single-vision, bifocal, trifocal, progressive, toric, and prism. Lenses can also be made from different materials, like plastic, polycarbonate and glass. Let’s not forget the various lens coatings available. Scratch-resistant, anti-fog, anti-glare, polarized, tinted, blue-light blocking and more. There are as many different lenses available as there are eyes to see through those lenses.
Our worldview is what guides our actions. The way we see the world is of utmost importance. Whether we realize or not, we are always saying to ourselves, “I see the world this way; therefore, I’m going to do this.” Our perspectives are the guiding forces behind our actions. Our worldview represents the principal perspective we have about everything we experience.
These worldviews are not created in a vacuum. They are shaped by our upbringing, culture, values, personality, and preferences. The differences between worldviews can be nuanced or vast. Worldview is not often discussed when we talk about social issues or the country we live in. But I believe it is the first thing we should discuss, because our worldview will affect everything else about how we see the world. I’m not asking you to change yours – yet. Just understand what it currently is. We’ll come back to these questions throughout the book.