Why does perspective matter? It matters because it helps us make sense of our world. It influences the way we think, encourages us to find solutions to obstacles, and supports our personal growth.
But when you don’t have perspective and face a challenge, you become lost and panic because you aren’t sure how to deal with it. The worst part of this situation is that the more anxious you become, the more you lose perspective, and fear takes hold.
Little to no perspective could be attributed to little life experience or personal biases that create tunnel vision. It becomes difficult to see things outside of a one-track mind, which makes it hard to adapt to change.
I’ve never allowed myself to become trapped in a rigid mindset because I know how much it affects your happiness and confidence.
The people who lack perspective in life often worry about these 7 things that I list below. From uncertainty about their future and making mistakes to dealing with change, let’s understand why perspective has such a profound impact on our lives.
1) They worry about the future.
When you think about your future, you might have an idea of where you see yourself in a few months or years from now. Based on your life plan, you know which steps to take to reach your goals.
But people who lack perspective don’t know which path to take in life. They become overwhelmed and anxious, trying to figure out who they are and what their purpose is.
The problem is that perspective helps us see all the angles of a situation, and if we don’t have it, we’re unable to figure things out on our own. Rather than connect the dots to find a way out, the absence of perspective jumbles the dots, and it becomes impossible to see any sort of direction.
This entire thought process leaves them feeling stuck.
And when you’re stuck, it’s very difficult to know which path to take or make decisions about your future.
On the other end of the scale, some individuals place too much focus on what they should do next or which project they should be working on rather than appreciating what’s right in front of them.
They become so distracted by the future that they forget to live in the moment.
I read a quote by American author Seth Godin that sums this up perfectly, and I’d like to share it with you: “Rather than wonder when your next vacation is, maybe you should create a life you don’t need to escape from.”
2) They fear change.
Change is a normal part of life and something that every single one of us experiences. Sometimes, change is good and necessary, but other times, it’s uncomfortable, and we find it hard to adjust.
When we fear the unknown and lack perspective, we don’t know how to overcome the change.
Because perspective helps us look at a situation and the pros and cons of making certain choices, the absence of it creates confusion.
People who find it hard to deal with different viewpoints feel threatened by change. They live according to a specific structure or pattern, and if an obstacle blocks their path, they don’t know how to get around it.
People who lack perspective constantly worry about change because they see it as a hindrance rather than an opportunity to learn and develop much-needed resilience.
3) They worry that things in their life will go wrong.
Everything we experience in life contributes to an ever-growing knowledge base that we rely on throughout our lives to figure things out.
Our wisdom helps us cope and adapt, even when life looks uncertain, but without perspective, we give in to stress and anxiety.
Problems or nuisances that we consider small become mountains that we can’t seem to climb, and we become overwhelmed by our insecurities, poor coping mechanisms, and lack of flexibility.
For those who give in to this negative self-talk, they start worrying about things that haven’t happened. They’re constantly on edge, expecting the worst.
When perspective is lost, they tend to forget about all of their accomplishments and the hardships that they’ve overcome.
They worry about their troubles and that everything in their lives will start going wrong. Instead of taking a breath and looking back at the events that they’ve already successfully worked through, they choose to think negatively.
This negative attitude simply leads to constant worrying.
4) They struggle to make decisions.
Most of us look at a problem and think of ways to resolve it. However, people who need more perspective are still determining which direction they need to take.
Their single-minded approach makes it nearly impossible to make a decision. If you can’t see a problem from different perspectives, it only creates frustration and confusion.
Fear comes into play because they can’t get over the mental block that’s obstructing their path. Being unsure of the outcome, they tend to put things on hold for too long or make rushed decisions before evaluating the pros and cons.
Perspective helps us understand situations and other people, allowing us to get a better idea of what to expect. But, in its absence, you sweat the small stuff, which prevents you from being able to see the bigger picture.
This constant state of indecisiveness not only stresses you out but also affects the people closest to you.
Friends and family find it hard to understand and help someone so indecisive. This makes it challenging to provide support, which makes these individuals feel like no one is on their side.
5) They worry about what others think of them.
If you get stuck in a loop of negative thoughts, everything that you interpret will be filtered through this bias.
People who have limited viewpoints underestimate themselves. They’re more concerned with their failures than their successes, and they become preoccupied with what others think of them.
The reason for this type of belief system is that we rely on our own interpretations to make sense of a situation. When you have a limited viewpoint, you struggle to comprehend or accept someone else’s opinions or ideas.
Let’s say that you make a mistake at work, and a colleague tries to show you another way of completing a task. Rather than appreciate their help, you feel like a failure and obsess over your inadequacies.
Perspective is a valuable skill that makes it possible to think rationally. If you make a mistake, yes, it doesn’t feel great, but at the end of the day, you know that it’s part of life. So, instead of questioning who you are, you can learn from it and pick yourself up again.
Without a flexible viewpoint, negative self-bias affect their self-esteem, relationships, and ability to pursue opportunities. Things get taken personally and not as constructive criticism, which feeds into self-doubt.
6) They get caught up in insignificant problems.
When you lose perspective, everything becomes a very big problem. Minor occurrences like sitting at a red light for too long or strong winds blowing leaves into the yard all seem to set you off.
The problem with a limited point of view is that they worry about small problems that are actually easy fixes. They don’t consider looking within and thinking that the issue might be with them rather than everything around them.
The absence of perspective limits rationality, so these individuals tend to blow situations out of proportion.
To work toward happiness rather than fault-finding, one needs to stop fearing other people and situations. The secret to success is taking control of your emotions, which helps to develop clarity while reducing stress.
7) They’re scared of being wrong.
While some people find it hard to make decisions or become preoccupied with the future, others develop a fear of conflict.
They only see or interpret situations based on their own belief systems and no one else’s.
People who lack perspective don’t want to be wrong, and they try to influence others to think the way they do rather than bend to a different viewpoint.
One could argue that the absence of perspective affects their empathy.
As soon as conflict comes their way and they get into an argument with someone, they become angry and frustrated because they don’t see another side or solution.
There’s no room for a new way of thinking or putting themselves in the other person’s shoes.
Final words
Having perspective is an underestimated skill because it plays such an important part in developing wisdom, resolving conflict, and building a true sense of self.
If you can’t see the good, the bad, and the ugly, you become unhappy with yourself and the people around you. An inability to see things from a fresh point of view stops you from thinking rationally, so you’re quick to judge or struggle to make decisions.
But whether you or someone you know is struggling with perspective, it is a value that you can develop through practice.
Remember that positive change only comes from within, so if you want your life and outlook to improve, change starts with you and learning how to broaden your mental and emotional horizons.
