It All Depends On Your Point Of View
@owlwings (43915)
Cambridge, England
March 25, 2016 7:24am CST
Have you ever looked long and hard at a situation and decided that the only right way of seeing it is the way you are seeing it? Then, either because you left it aside for a little or because of some small thing that someone said, you return to it and realise that you had it all wrong and that the real way of seeing the situation is almost the reverse of the way you saw it before?
I have had this experience several times in my life and have been reminded of it a number of times. One was when I visited the sculpture by Colin Wilbourn, illustrated above, in Durham, which only made sense when viewed from one particular point. From anywhere else, it appeared to be just a random collection of oddly carved tree trunks. Sadly, the sculpture no longer exists, having been dismantled by the artist in 2001.
The second time I have been forcibly reminded of the importance of looking at a situation from several points of view was when I read this very clever poem by Brian Bilston. (Perhaps you have already seen it, since it seems to have been shared quite widely - and rightly so! If so, please forgive me for troubling you with it again!):
REFUGEES
They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you or me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back to where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It is not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way
(now read from bottom to top)
What experience do you have of a situation which made you angry or sad but which, when you took a fresh look at it, all fell into place and made sense?
56 people like this
52 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
26 Mar 16
The sculpture is a representation of the Upper Room with the table laid for the Last Supper. Different parts of the picture were carved on different tree trunks so that only when viewed from a particular position did the picture 'come together'.
4 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Mar 16
@owlwings Is the view on this picture the correct position? If so, I don't see what I'm supposed to be seeing. If not, then I can understand why. Too bad it was dismantled.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
25 Mar 16
I know we should all have a more open mind and look the situation from different angles. This poem is great, I remember that I have read another one that was different if read from top to bottom or from bottom to top, but I do not remember where in my computer I have saved it. We could all be refugees, because we do not know what will happen to our countries in the future.
7 people like this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
25 Mar 16
It happens all the time in the workplace.
When we are at the bottom of the corporate ladder, we think that our bosses have an easy life.
After all, they just go to meeting, and do not do real work.
When we reach that position, we realize that being a boss is not easy.
The senior management gives a lot of pressure, and the subordinates do not think we are working.
7 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
25 Mar 16
That's very true! In fact, the times in my life when I have had this sort of experience have been mostly connected with work. Situations where I could not see the sense in the decisions made by management until I was shown them from another perspective.
5 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48956)
• United States
25 Mar 16
A few years back we thought that we needed to move. Several obstacles came into our path it turned out to be a blessing.
4 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
25 Mar 16
Yes, I've had that experience too, when all sorts of obstacles seem to happen to thwart one's attempts to do something and then one sees later that what seemed to be a good idea at the time would not have been. It really feels as if one had been prevented from going down that road on purpose!
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
25 Mar 16
This is fabulous. We need to send it to the members of the GOP running for president. 
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
26 Mar 16
@owlwings Someone is both clever and very smart.
4 people like this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
27 Mar 16
Sometimes distance and time make all the difference. Loved the poem.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98827)
• India
26 Mar 16
I could not make out what the sculpture was. :) I agree views on same issue can differ. Even we can have a different stand on the same issue. For now though, I feel refugees need help. Even if not looking at them compassionately, we need to consider the fact that if they are left helpless they will become easy recruitment targets and we would end up spending on more wars losing more loved ones. Loss is inevitable, why not by taking care of them and making them feel loved, so that there is a change in the outlook and prevention of crimes from within the community. Effectively, we are helping future generations, by sacrificing now. I think that is worth it.
4 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
26 Mar 16
The mini tornado that we experienced seemed a disaster but on hindsight it turned out to work in our faovour.
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
25 Mar 16
i'm glad ya shared this poem, wise friend. i confess to've not seen it's'f yet. heartless 'til read from the bottom up 'n then speaks volumes...
i tend to analyze schtuff quite oft, though've gotten into some pickles throughout the years by seein' jest one view fer a bit. sometimes't takes the eyes'f a stranger to point'cha'n the correct direction.
what a pity the artist took that down, thankfully yerself 'n no doubt many others've pic's it though :D
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
25 Mar 16
I did take some pictures of that very inspirational sculpture myself but I have either lost them or they are buried in the many unscanned slides and negatives which I have 'pre-digital'. I believe that the sculpture was never intended to be permanent and so I feel honoured to be one of those who saw it.
The poem was, of course, what inspired this post, though I intentionally 'buried' it in the content. You are one of just a handful who have seen the real message (I wouldn't have expected otherwise from you, I think!).
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
25 Mar 16
@owlwings ya mean ya got those 'pre' thingies 'round's well? mercy, i gotta get a scanner, find somebody trustworthy to process the negatives 'n so forth myself. jest seems a most dauntin' task.
that's wonderful that'cha that opportunity. i sat'n looked o'er the pic fer quite a while actually, jest tryin' to get the 'feel' 'f it'n person. must'a been somethin'!
i'm thinkin' that perhaps not all took the time to read the poem from the bottom up? sadly, readin' it 's written (top down), sounds like somethin' one'f our folks runnin' fer president'd say :( callous, that'un.
3 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
28 Mar 16
Awesome..thanks @jaboUK. For the sugestion...
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
26 Mar 16
Wow....This gave me goosebumps. What a wonderful piece of writing. I was thinking as I read down all the thoughts of hate and news about people needing help and the lack of help by many countries, and then backwards is the right way. Thank you for this share. I am going to copy it and put it on Facebook for my friends. Thanks to Jabo for the heads up!
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
26 Mar 16
It makes more sense to both parties when we put ourselves on each other's shoes. Everything can be taken away including those we depend on daily.
Great poem and one of a kind. We should never forget the oneness of humanity and that we react similarly when faced with similar situations. Let us all try to work towards better understanding even as divisive forces work overtime - siva
3 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
26 Mar 16
I do look long and hard at a situation and decide that my way is the right way but never have I reconsidered and thought I was wrong! :P
Seriously, though, a lot of things do depend on your perspective which is why I always do my best to look at things objectively, collect as much information as I possibly can, and make a decision based on the facts. If I've looked long and hard at a situation, I will have considered as many views as possible. Because of that, I sometimes get annoyed with people who only see one side or think I'm only seeing one side.
That poem is a good example. There's also the thing about war and stuff where each side believes that they are the heroes doing the right thing where each side believes that the other side are somehow wrong.
Another example, perhaps a silly one, is the eating of dogs. 'We' think it's wrong because it's a thing we just don't do because it is, apparently, like eating a family member. Whereas other places, dogs are not seen that way and are edible. It would be like someone telling us that eating chicken was barbaric just because it wasn't normal in their country. Not that I can think of anywhere that people don't eat chicken.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
26 Mar 16
that is quite a clever poem, and I am saddened to know that the trees are no longer out for others to see, I would have loved to see them. and yes, this has happened to me before.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
26 Mar 16
thanks to dear friend @jabo for suggesting me this discussion. yes, I may have a different insight and point of view with another lotter's discussion but that does not mean that I do not read the post. I am not happy with what I had here few weeks ago, but that is the way life is, so...
2 people like this
