Perspective

Imagine for a moment you are on your very first plane ride. You’ve got a prime-time window seat that gives you a clear view of the ground beneath. As the plane takes off, everything outside you begins moving faster and faster. As you lift off the ground and catch a glimpse of the interstate, you notice the speeding cars and oversize load trucks getting smaller and smaller. Next, the rivers and lakes are shrinking. Finally, the mountains themselves - which once towered over you - are a little more than big folds. This is the power of perspective, a force that the Stoics suggest we access regularly. 

Nothing releases externals from our consciousness more than altering our perspective. Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca were constantly shifting their point of reference to deepen their understanding of the universe. One way they did this was by pondering our place in time and space. Our life spans are so insignificant compared with the grand scheme of things, yet we exhaust our resources, trying to extend that time. For what? To be known for something? Think for a moment about the world monuments that were once wonders of human ingenuity that have now been obliterated! Examples like the Library of Alexandria, Carthage, Tenochtitlan, and Hanging Gardens. Or think of the Popular world figures that have changed the world, but yet are unknown to most today. Marcus Aurelius states the truth of the matter very plainly, “Soon you will have forgotten all, and all will have forgotten you.” If we don’t expand our perspective often then we will slip into a default perception of being “the bestest and the mostest'' of our time, as said by Ryan Holiday. The Stoics recognized the universe as a higher power, capable of changing our puny lives in a matter of an instant. This belief can propel you to live in the present moment, open yourself to virtue, and dispel common vices like greed or ego. Try it for yourself!

Practice: Keep a Journal 

Time: 10-15 minutes 

Materials: Journal or Notebook. Pen. Timer 

Foundation: “Is there anything finer than this habit of scrutinizing the entire day? I exercise this jurisdiction daily and plead my case before myself. I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” --Seneca

Description: Although very different from each other, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus all had one thing in common: the habit of keeping a journal. The best example of this is Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” which was basically his personal diary that served as a cathartic reminder of a cultivating perspective. The following suggestions are modeled on the way Marcus would write in his own journal. Try them out and see what you think. 

Activity 1. As you plan your week, pick a skill or attribute you want to work on for the next seven days. Something that takes time to develop but could be worked on each day (e.g., kindness). At the end of each day over the next seven days, reflect on your progress. 

Activity 2. List individuals who have made a difference in your life, why they’ve made a difference, and how they influenced you towards virtue (including the types of virtue you found in them. Read the first chapter of Meditations (Aurelius, n.d., B.C.E.) for some good examples.)

Activity 3. Write in a second-person narrative. From the excerpt shared above, you’ll notice Marcus Aurelius spoke in the second person to distance himself from events and your feelings about them. Detaching from your emotions and reactions helps you see your judgments more clearly. 

Activity 4. Debate with yourself. If you want to justify your behavior, then do it, and often you’ll find it makes you seem even more ridiculous. But that’s also the point. Journaling is supposed to help change perspectives by giving time and space to see different angles.