THE 18TH FLOOR VIEW: AKA The Cold Water Bucket Metaphor

Hmmm, how much does our point of view of the moment colour our perception of what we see and what we experience?

One of the life lessons I've learned along the way is that reality is a moving target. The time, the place and the circumstance in which we reside profoundly impacts how we interpret what our senses – and especially our emotions – tell us.

A simple but illustrative case in point. There are literally dozens of different models of cars on the road today. At ground level they all look quite distinct. But when I look down from my 18th floor apartment window at the parking lot below, it is striking how similar many of these cars look from above. Their overall profile clearly follows a pattern.

Do you see what I'm getting at? No? Alright then, another example. Take two buckets and put them side by side. Fill Bucket A with cold water from the tap and Bucket B with ice water.

Put your hand in Bucket A. It feels cold. But now put your hand in Bucket B and leave it there for two minutes. Then pull your hand out and put in Bucket A. Your brain now tells you that the water in Bucket A is warm. In relative terms, the water in Bucket A is warmer than the water in Bucket B.

Now you're beginning to see what I'm going on about. Reality shape shifts depending on the angle from which you perceive it. We are never completely objective even in our most rationale moment.

The effect is magnified many times over when are emotions get mixed up the process – and they always do. We are emotional creatures whether we care to admit it or not.

I can easily – and quite often do – become self-righteously upset over what I perceive to be injustices in my life. It can seem quite unfair to me that, after having laboured industriously in the workforce for 30 years and worked my way to a comfortable (though not lavish) salary, I don't own a house and I drive a 12 year old car. No need to get into the details. Suffice to say I've suffered a setback or two along the way.

But then I hear about someone, who possesses so many of the material things that I cannot afford, who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Suddenly, my perspective spins around 180 degrees and reality seems to be tilted in my favour.

It is more and more apparent to me that reality is qualitative – not quantitative. It looks entirely different depending on the angle you look at it from. Furthermore, it takes on an entirely different hue depending on the cocktail of emotions your brain is stewing in at the time.

I'm learning to live my life by the cold water bucket metaphor. I can choose to see reality from the upside or the downside. It all depends on which bucket I've chosen to stick my hand in. I'm a lot more at peace now that I realize I can choose my perspective.

I still have to recalibrate from time to time but I'm getting pretty good at it. The 18th floor view can be very enlightening.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

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