The Importance of Point of View

Junior+Estella+Varner+taking++a+second+to+breathe

Andy Denny

Junior Estella Varner taking a second to breathe

When many think of point of view, they think of what we learn through English classes in school.  However, this article isn’t based on what we learn in school, it is based on what we learn and see in the real world. Point of view allows us to understand why others believe and feel the way they do. 

Recently,everyone has had to practice this due to our differences of opinions with COVID-19, the recent presidential change, as well as everyday issues such as arguments between friends and family.  

Perspective and opinion go hand in hand with the topic. Perspective being a synonym to point of view, we could look at it as trying to view it in others eyes. Viewing things how others do is very hard for the majority of people but the most we can all do is try our best to understand. 

For example, my boyfriend and I got into an argument over a comment that he made. Before he had a chance to explain himself I blew up. I started yelling, expressing my feelings, but failing to remember his. Him being a great boyfriend, he let me continue until I realized I was wrong for doing so. 

In retrospect, in that situation and in many others, if I had just taken a moment to listen to the other person, the argument could have been prevented. 

This is often seen in sibling relationships. Junior Bella Vandebilt has three siblings, one being her twin brother,junior Aiden Vanderbilt. As everyone knows,siblings can fight a lot.If they would just allow each other to speak their side and have a conversation about it, the fighting would not escalate. 

Bella Vanderbilt stated,” While we are fighting I usually think to myself, why are we doing this in the first place. We then always come to an agreement or somewhat of a happy medium. But most of the time I just walk away because my siblings are entitled and believe they are always right.”

While Vandebilt might be correct on some things she stated, we can not always agree because we haven’t heard her brother or other siblings’ perspective and opinions. That’s usually how things go though.You hear one side then the other side and usually neither story is the full truth.

This can be a big issue especially in the workplace because in certain situations perspective and point of view is everything. Senior Dylan Hammons has been in multiple situations in the workplace where perspective and opinion of people determine the outcome. 

Hammons stated, “Point of view means everything to one person you could be right and one person you could be wrong because that’s their perspective and their opinion it may be right to them and wrong to you.” 

In everyday life people go through all these issues whether it is in romantic, friendship, family or workplace relationship’s. This happens to everyone but it could happen less if we all just took a second, stopped, and took a deep breath before reacting against someone else’s thoughts and opinions.