“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” first said by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (Phrases.org.uk), is a phrase most of us have heard- and it perfectly paints the value of a broad perspective. Frequently, we come across works of art and concepts that we personally do not find appealing, yet others do. While this may seem like a simple concept, it’s important that we take a moment to recognize that these different viewpoints are not inherently wrong or flawed. In fact, these differences in perspective can be attributed to those we spend time with.
For example, current research also shows that our parents tend to have significant effects on who we personally seek out in intimate relationships, providing us with a ‘template’ of sorts as we look for partners who resemble our parents in ways we find meaningful (Geher). This is relevant to our need to take a broader perspective because there are countless things we may not know that influences another’s decisions. Parental involvement clearly has a significant impact on a person’s relationships, but we may not hear about someone’s parents- or meet them- to gain a fuller understanding. Part of building a broader perspective is recognizing not just what we know, but what we don’t know.