When we give our opinion and share our thoughts, we are offering our perspective. Some perspectives are worth far more than others. Perspectives come with diverse experiences, skills, and viewpoints and are not equal in value.
Some perspectives may even be unwarranted.
How we see, analyze, and sort through the information presented to us and then give and have a viewpoint is our perception.
Perspectives and perceptions will vary based upon cognitive abilities and the extent of our ability to utilize both hemispheres of our brains. While most of us bring the left side of our brains into play daily, the logical, thinking, analytical, data-hungry hemisphere, we neglect our creative right side.
That is not the fault of the individual but an even more significant issue with our education system. Our growing emphasis on STEM subjects almost appears to be at the mercy of the arts. Our proficiency in analyzing data and providing systematic thinking is a product of the deliberate training and instruction received consistently from Pre-K through to high school and beyond. Likewise, our inability to innovate and invent is thanks to that same system.
When we question a person’s ability to ‘see the forest from the trees’ or ‘not seeing the whole picture, ‘ we question their ability to use the left hemisphere. Like many disciplines and functions, individuals will be proficient based upon their training, practice, and experience. Do we expect someone to write code if they have not been trained and practiced it?
