Quotes about perspective

My thoughts

I believe everyone should have a broad picture of how the universe operates and our place in it. It is a basic human desire. And it also puts our worries in perspective.

Stephen Hawking

Anything to do with astronomy makes your problems feel insignificant, in my opinion of course :) Thinking of the scales and magnitude of the universe is a great way to get out of your own head and your situation. I think that's why I love science documentaries.

You must look within for value but must look beyond for perspective.

Denis Waitley

I think the reason I like this one is that value is our own interrpretation. It is what we choose it to be. But without the context of perspective if it is hard for us to assign importance to that value. It is a bit more esoteric than the other quotes on perspective but it does raise questions.

Everything we hear is an opinion not a fact. Everything we see is perspective not the truth.

Marcus Aurelis

This one from the epically quoteable Marcus Aurelius seems more and more applicable these days. Flicking between Fox News and CNN shows that the same events are interrpreted completely differently based on the glasses we wear. If we could have positivity glasses when we look at our own lives, would we be significantly happier?

As an entrepreneur, this quote is important to me. Building something from nothing is daunting. It seems impossible with all of the products out there to make something that is truly unique and remarkable. The only way you can start is to step back and look at things with a very long perspective. No quick returns. Long hard days / weeks / months and years.

Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into perspective.

Anton Chekhov

As our roles in society has become more and more specialised we have lost a lot. Our educations are less general and we specialise earlier and earlier into smaller and smaller fields. This helps improve productivity of organisations but as individuals if we do not spend our spare time broadening our knowledge of the world, we are worse off for it.

Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.

Dan Brown

Dan Brown :) He's not the best author in the world be when he's right he's right.

If we don’t have a sense of humor we lack a sense of perspective.

Wayne Thiebaud

When I first read this quote I disagreed with it. I didn't see the connection. But when I thought about my most reflective moments. The times when I really had some clarity about my life, it was when I was somewhat laughing at it. It was when my mood was carefree and whimsical that I was able to look at the past more clearly.

Those at too great a distance may I am well are mistake ignorance for perspective.

Carl Sagan

I've noticed this phenomena with people that really know their s**t. They have the power to simplify subjects so much and understand that they do not understand the true complexity of situations. People mistake that for a lack of understanding. This quote is basically the opposite of the Dunning–Kruger effect.

Perspective is a luxury when your head is constantly buzzing with a swarm of demons.

Khaled Hosseini

I wanted this quote to be last because it sums things up nicely. I try to get perspective as much as I can when life is not in turmoil. It is just too hard when life gets tough. If you do find life perspective when life is normal, you can pull yourself out of turmoil quicker when life is tough.