Changing Perspective

I’m not so easily influenced by talks these days, but let’s just say that there was one that really made me think.

I’ve been wanting to attend one of those much talked about TEDx things and my friend wouldn’t shut up about how great and interesting they were so I thought to myself: why not?

Trying hard not to cancel at the last minute, I went there, tried to socialize and utterly failed, then went with the crowd to the place where they would hold the screenings for the TEDxBeirutSalon. After the first video of one Rory Sutherland, we were asked to share a story about a time where we changed our perspective. Or a story where we know people who changed their perspective and through what means we can make children change their perspective…

I didn’t say anything, although I wanted to… I stayed silent, like almost every time anyone asks me to share something, I just clam up shut.

But I’ve had a change of heart since then, and so I’m going to vent my feelings and ideas right here:

There was this one Scout Chief who wanted to make little boys change their perspective towards blind people and make them feel what they feel. So he asked them to put their scarfs around their eyes and then try to play during their meeting…

It was a real eye-opener (pun not intended) for the kids. So when they actually met the blind kid, they treated him with respect, like an equal, instead of making fun of him, because mockery was what those kids usually did best…

Then, there was another thing I wanted to talk about, but i really don’t remember what it was… Probably not as important as the blind kid… But still…

Oh, I remember!

One of my friends was whining about a decision she took after giving it a lot of thought. She was whining like A LOT.

And then, a coworker of mine told me a story: He was driving along a roundabout teeming with cars, because they were building a new bridge (yes, another one…), so, stuck in traffic as he was he saw something move under the bridge to his left. He stopped and stared, disbelievingly… A man, a homeless man to be more exact, was shifting positions on his makeshift bed made of cardboard, a tiny hat on his head, under the bridge in construction. The man had obviously nowhere to sleep, and must surely wonder where his next meal would come from. I thought my heart would stop beating out of sadness… I could literally feel it constrict and never let me breathe again.

So I went ahead and told her the story. It worked like magic. And I think she saw the light and stopped complaining period.

I’m thinking that it’s a good thing to spread that tale… am I right?

The thing is, every time I tell it, my heart constricts and I’m filled with sadness… or is it sorrow? I don’t know. I’m being overly sentimental maybe, because it’s almost Christmas and I’m missing my cousin…

I am sure of one thing though: it is possible to change one’s perspective. It should be done by touching the heart, or the senses. Meaning, if you can’t make them live it, you can touch their heart.

Here are the talks we saw:

http://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_perspective_is_everything.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/raghava_kk_shake_up_your_story.html