Perspective

Have you ever noticed that you see things differently when you are with different people? The same work of art, let's say Monet's Soleil Levant, can appear one way to you when you are with your mother and a completely different way when you are with your best friend. Why is that?

Today I was watching one of my favorite films with my mother. I had just watched it a few days before and even with all the crassness and several offensive scenes, I was able to look past that and see the big picture. My mind erased those bits and focused on the story and what the director achieved overall. However, when I popped the DVD in this evening and sat down with my mother all I could do was wish that the director and writers had skipped on some things. And honestly, they could have.These scenes were not in any pertinent to the story, they weren't all that funny, and they just felt awkward in comparison to the rest of the film.

Why is it that I didn't notice these things earlier? Perception. We, as human beings tend to take on the views of those who are close to us (even if we don't always agree). Whether we try to or not, we naturally look at the world through the eyes of those we hang around. This isn't always a good thing. I mean, yes it is good to understand the views of others, but we can't go along without being able to form our own opinions.

Why do we consider certain books to be classics? What makes something art? Isn't it because someone says it is and other's agree? But why do they/we agree?

Get out there people! Get exposed! Form your own opinions so that you are able to say, "This is art. This is a classic," but not because someone else said so, because YOU said so.