This week my husband and I were discussing some of the intricacies of his Physics class. Sometimes, if a student isn’t naturally inclined toward the sciences, they can get so confused they’re not sure which way is up.
Sound too basic to be believed? When I asked how a high school student could doubt something so fundamental, this is how the conversation went:
Me: So, which way is up?
Hubby: That depends.
Me: How could it depend on anything? Up is . . . up!
Hubby: What if you’re on a roller coaster, upside down, with your eyes shut? If someone asks you to point up, which way would you point?
Me: Well, if I didn’t know which way I was hanging on that roller coaster, I’d point to the way up has always been to me. I’d point up.
Hubby: Which would, of course be wrong, if you were upside down. If the someone who’d asked you to point up were on the ground, to them you’d be pointing down. Here’s another example. What if you were in space? Which way would up be then?
Me: So . . . up can change, depending on circumstances or perception?
Hubby: Yes.
I won’t even tell you what he thought a more appropriate name for the movie “Up” would be. Okay, I will. Increasing Radial Distance From the Center of the Earth. How’s that for a catchy title? Too long? How about the acronym? IRDFCE – pronounced Erdface, of course. I’m sure that would go over big with children.
So what did we learn from this little discussion? That our perspective impacts all of our perceptions about the world around us. So the next time you make an important decision or form an opinion about someone (including yourself) don’t forget to consider circumstances and perception!
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P.S. Please visit next week when I talk about my daughter’s lovely wedding!
Join Me!