Perspective plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of events, people, and places. It can help us empathize with others, broaden our worldview, and challenge our preconceived notions. A great example of this can be found in George Takei’s memoir, “They Called Us Enemy,” which vividly illustrates the power of perspective.

Through Takei’s eyes, readers get a glimpse of what life was like in the internment camp. We see how he and his family were forced to leave behind their home, possessions, and even their dog. We witness their struggles to adapt to the harsh living conditions and the constant fear of being separated from each other. But, more importantly, and obviously, we see the naive positivity George brings to the situation. One example is when he and his family arrive at the internment camp in Rohwer Arkansas. His excitement when discovering he is now going to be sleeping where Horses once slept is clearly detrimental to previously “normal” childhood memories. However, this observation is a refreshing insight into such an unjust situation that it inspires the notion, of “look on the bright side.” Horrible conditions will come and with them, waves of negativity deserve to be validated, but a positive perspective can always be found. His attitude, though vastly different from those around him, was immensely impactful in his ability to happily make it through this biased prejudice.

  We further discover the power of perspective through the podcast “Play Mountain,” a deep dive into the mind of sculptor Isamu Noguchi. He felt play was the primer for a purposeful approach to the opportunity of space. His perspective of playgrounds was abstract and included structures defiant of what had ever been done before in order to provide kids with a chance to play through imagination without a force defining what can and can’t be done. Noguchi wanted to impact children at their most impressionable age so they could grow up as creative, open-minded individuals. His conceptual ideas of playgrounds and their ability to provide not only symbols of art but also impactful construction are still noticed and, according to Scott Roschi the creative director of Landscape Structures, affect playgrounds to this day.

Through these examples and the many, I’m sure you could notice in your own life, it is obvious the impact perspective has on any and every situation. Maybe all you need is to change yours.