“There are no facts, only interpretations.” … Friedrich Nietzsche
Fake news has been plaguing us as long as we’ve had language. We used to call it propaganda.
No matter what you call it, these days we each exist in a vortex of information that confirms our own perspective. We live in echo-chambers of validation.
Some lament the end of truth as we know it. Others celebrate that their own perspective has finally been privileged over fake news.
I’d like to offer a third way of thinking about fake news and the so-called end of truth. I’ve long been drawn to a philosophy known as Perspectivism and I believe it can help us out of this informational quagmire. It offers a way to move out of the sense of stuckness in our own worlds to let in the perspectives of others.
What is Perspectivism?
Perspectivism sounds simple, and it is. Yet is is also very profound.
It is the idea that nobody sees the whole truth, that we each see just a small part of it. It’s like holding only one piece of a picture or puzzle: we need more of it to understand the full picture.
Imagine a group of friends seeing pictures of different places on a mountain. One says that mountain is full of trees, another sees multiple snowy mountain tops, and a third sees a bunch of mountain streams.
Each person is right about what they see. If they stopped there, firm in their own individual perspectives, each would leave with their own limited understanding of what a mountain actual is. None would be able to see the whole of the mountain.
That’s what perspectivism is: your view and my view are real, and there is more than only your view and my view. We forget that so easily though. I see my point of view and my community around me – agrees with me. My perspective is not only real… it’s right. So curiosity, exploration, adventure – and discovery – dies.
Perspectivism says each person’s knowledge can only be seen from a particular point of view. The idea has philosophical roots (Friedrich Nietzsche), as well as spiritual roots (the ancient Indian religion Jainism). Jainism has a core principle called anekāntavāda, which means “many-sidedness” or “non-one-sidedness.”
Each teach that reality is complex, and no single view captures it fully. Perspectivism has also infiltrated the fields of conflict resolution and collaborative approaches to leadership and governance. Solicit multiple perspectives because that will get closer to the truth.
Perspectivism Breeds Humility
Unlike Relativism – which suggests “you have your truth and I have mine so let’s just agree to disagree” – Perspectivism reminds us there is one greater reality out there, larger than any of us can understand.
And, it’s only through sharing perspectives, like describing different parts of the mountain, that we can glimpse more of that whole. We need those different parts.
Conflict then is not a battle to prove who’s right, but a doorway to learn what part of the mountain the other person is seeing. Curiosity reigns. Exploration, adventure, discovery can be had. Adopting the perspective that we don’t have all the answers, either requires humility or it creates humility.
Either way, it’s an idea worth spreading: I need your point of view and you need mine.
Perspectivism Transforms
Instead of dismissing differences as irreconcilable (“let’s agree to disagree”), Perspectivism transforms fake news, propaganda, and even intense conflict into opportunities to expand our understanding of the truth. If I can become curious about your piece of the truth, instead of clinging only to mine, together we can uncover more of reality. In a world splintered by echo chambers, Perspectivism calls us back to the spirit of inquiry – to awe, curiosity, and wonder – as the foundations for collaboration and truth-seeking.
Circles
A powerful way to practice Perspectivism is to commune in a circle way. Circles need not be complicated and they have a long history of being used in many traditions from Celtic to Indigenous to campfires. Circles have deep roots in religious traditions, including Quakers “listening for the Spirit.” Circles show up in modern organizational life as circle practice (as taught by Christina Baldwin & Ann Linnea), Way of Council, the Art of Hosting and World Café.
Circles create space for each voice to be heard, without interruption or debate. Each person speaks in turn, often with a talking piece, and every perspective is honoured as part of the collective truth. Each person offers what they see about that mountain, and together we see more of the whole.
Be a Perspectivist!
Try this simple practice when faced with any potentially difficult conversation with someone you are in relationship with.
Firstly, keep in mind the Perspectivist philosophy: you only have one part of the truth and you need the other person’s perspective to better understand what’s going on. Be a Perspectivist as you go into the conversation.
- Start with getting curious. Ask the other person how they see a certain situation. In your mind (or even saying out loud) – you are curious about what their side of the mountain looks like from where they stand. It’s just one part of the mountain – it does not have to threaten your perspective when you have a Perspectivist philosophy.
- When they tell you, see if you can listen and reflect back their perspective in a way that they feel heard and can agree with. Then ask them if they feel heard or if you missed something. It might be helpful to also say that you are not agreeing with their perspective per se – as you have one as well. Emphasize your goal is to understand their perspective.
- Once they can confirm they feel understood, ask if they’d now be willing to hear your perspective on the topic at hand. If so, stay with it until you feel understood. If they say no – either you haven’t fully heard what they want to say – or – well – that’s another article! 🙂
Sometimes it can also help to “share time.” That is, go into the conversation with the understanding that you will have a similar amount of time to share your perspectives.
Once you’re both done sharing your perspectives, see what new information emerges. If you are listening for new discoveries, chances are higher you will hear something new.
See if the new way of listening, with a Perspectivist lens, opens up new possibilities for a way forward. This small way of taking is Perspectivism in action.
As always, I truly hope there is something here for you. And, I love to hear what you discover!
Warmly,
