Through the Eyes of Others
Back in school, I always thought that it was normal not to be able to see the board from the back row. It never occurred to me that some people can see faraway things with good or perfect clarity when all I see is a blur. That is, until I got my eye tested.
From what we actually see, how much of the world do we assume is normal?
Just imagine someone who is colorblind going through their whole life not knowing that red and green are two different colors. How crazy would it be if they found out that most of the world can see two different colors when all they can see is one?
Or what about the ability to visualize mental images? If you assumed everyone can do it just because you can, or the other way around, then I need to introduce you to a new word today. Aphantasia. It’s the term used to describe the inability to visualize something or picture something in one’s mind.
Through our own eyes, we see the world our way. But through the eyes of others, their world can look wildly different from ours. And there’s no easy way to know or compare. Which is why you shouldn’t assume that everything you see is normal.