Perspectives

If I asked you to draw a mountain – like Fuji or the Matterhorn – you would almost certainly draw a triangular shape. That is what is most obvious about those mountains to the rest of the world, but that is the one shape that those on the mountains themselves cannot see.

This paradox was beautifully and succinctly captured 1000 years ago by 苏轼 (Sū Shì, 1037-1101) in a poem called 题西林壁 (tí xī lín bì, “Inscription [on the] Wall [of the Temple of the] Western Woods”):

横看成岭侧成峰
远近高低各不同。
不识庐山真面目，
只缘身在此山中。

The poet describes his experience of hiking up Mount Lu and noticing how the shape of the mountain continually changed depending on where he was on the path. The kicker in the final line says that the only time he really could not see what the mountain looked like was when he was on top of it.

This same reality applies equally to ourselves and our circumstances. That is why diversity in unity is such a treasure to be safeguarded in Singapore. Each heritage group and each national language provide different perspectives which give an all round view when shared and combined.

Perspective: from per (through) and specere (look).

观点 (guāndiǎn): “观” (guān, meaning “to observe”) and “点” (diǎn, meaning “point”)

Perspektif: borrowed from and corresponds to English “perspective.”

கண்டுபிடிப்பான கோவிடு: (kaṇṭupiṭippāṉ kōviṭu): combines “கண்டுபிடிப்பு” (kaṇṭupiṭippu, meaning “perception” or “understanding”) and “கோவிடு” (kōviṭu, meaning “view” or “perspective”)

_{Photo credits: drone shot from imgur.com, background image from Wikimedia Commons}