In the midst of eating ungodly amounts of food, feeling sorry for myself, and buying things off the internet that I didn't need during quarantine, I managed to read a couple books. I'll link the ones I liked at the end of this newsletter, but there's a specific story from Stop Doing That Sh*t that I found especially powerful that I want to share. Here's the exercise on perception straight from the author:
Imagine you're holding a cup of hot black coffee. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone bumps your elbow and the scalding liquid goes everywhere. It splatters across your bare arm, down your leg, all over the floor. The burning pain is intense, the mess irretrievable, your pants completely ruined and you have a job interview in 20 minutes. You need to change clothes now, except you can't, you're in Starbucks. You're miles from home and your interview is a 15 minute walk away. You look at the guy who crashed into you and say, “Seriously man?” He shrugs his shoulders and mutters a barely audible apology quickly walking away like he doesn't give a damn. Your heart is racing, your head a mish mash of thoughts, your body pulsing with anger then frustration before subsiding to helplessness and then down to resignation. It took ages to get this interview. You're screwed. You leave and head home.
Ok, now imagine you're someone else who is watching this same scene from a corner of the Starbucks. Instead of the participant in it, you're now an observer of it. You're quietly enjoying your morning tea and muffin when a guy comes in and catches the corner of your eye. He looks agitated, a little nervous. He orders a coffee, reaches for his wallet, takes out his credit card and then drops it. “Damnit!” He proclaims in a biting tone. He pays and steps to the side, passes several other people between himself and the pick up counter. “Timmy!” Says the server. “Eh, it's Tommy actually.” He retorts. Tommy grabs his cup, briskly turns, obviously not looking where he's headed and BAM. He smacks right into a young guy who didn't see him coming. Tommy's coffee explodes everywhere. “Seriously man?” Exclaims Tommy. The entire room silences as everyone turns to find the source of the drama. The young kid, clearly embarrassed and trying to get away from the spectacle, softly apologizes and makes a hasty retreat. End scene.
He goes on to share that the tricky thing about "truth", is that we see it it only from our own perspective. I found this incredibly powerful.
