Reflection World by Adrian C. Murray

Reflection World by Adrian C. Murray

Perspective A few months ago I took a photo of my nephew. At the time I didn’t think there was anything profound of the initial composition. Then this morning I was browsing through some photos where I noticed the one of my nephew and reimagined it in a different perspective. After awhile I was taken back by what the implications of the image were when viewed a certain way, especially on a mobile device. You see, every person has many aspects to their lives and what we perceive of them is based upon our personal impressions of them. In the inverted image of my nephew your brain wants to focus on the version of him that’s upright; regardless of how muddied and distorted it is, that’s the “correct” image. Try as you might, as long as you’re holding your phone upright, you’ll probably focus on that part of the photo. Now flip your screen around. The photo hasn’t changed at all. However, you have changed your own perspective of the child. The clear and pristine section is what you will focus on and the distorted version becomes a secondary player; a poor reflection of reality. Apply this to how we see each other on a day to day basis. How our own perceptions can impact how we view one another. When you see someone from another culture you don’t understand, are you looking at the clear picture, or the distorted view? How about when your emotions are running wild? Is your own perspective clear enough to cast any type of judgement on another person or situation. Or are the ripples in the puddle larger than you think? In a world where we are in constant contact with other people, I feel like this is something we should keep in mind. What we see of others on a day to day basis is typically the poor representation of reality. A rippled puddle reflecting someone’s true identity. I, for one, will try to remember that the next time I have a bad encounter with someone else. I hope they can do the same for me.

Adrian C. Murray: Photos