Does each of us have a unique view of the world or is there a universal view? Is there a common visual perspective or are the visual viewpoints of each individual unique?

Consider the view of a child. Their field of vision is not only predicated on the development of their brain but also the height they have obtained or are situated at. We can appreciate that children see the world much differently than adults.

This is why it is suggested that when carrying on a conversation with a child, one should consider sitting or kneeling. This position places an adult’s head at nearly the same level as the child’s head.

Thus, both the adult and the child are at the same eye level and should now observe the world more similarly.

While generally the perceptions of individual humans are established by a variety of contributing factors such as heredity, intelligence and experience.

However, are visual perceptions also based upon where the person is positioned? Are they lying down, kneeling, sitting or standing?

An early Peanuts cartoon depicted Lucy and Linus visiting a toy store. Lucy was remarking about the new toys in the display bins. Linus’ reply, from his observational level, was that it was interesting they had used screws rather than nails.

His comments were based upon the fact that he could only see the front boards of the display bin. This would bring us to understand the child in the seat of a shopping cart has a very different view of the aisles in a store than another child who is walking or being held by an adult.

Lyrically, Patsy Cline’s emphases the innocence of a child’s view in her song Eyes Of a Child: “If I could see the world through the eyes of a child, what a wonderful world this would be!”

This eye of the beholder would also work when seated at a bar or a restaurant counter. Our main concern is usually what drink or menu item we will choose. The staff behind the counter or bar sees a whole array of people all with potentially different requests.

This would be comparable to the question about a glass being half full or half empty. Which could now depend on whether you are looking up at the glass or down at the glass? Or maybe we should just wear rose colored glasses!

Is our individual view of the world similar to the adage that in order to understand another person, we need to walk a mile in their shoes? Does this mean that we should look for an hour or so through another’s eyes to visualize their unique world?

This different outlook would provide us the opportunity to comprehend what a wonderful world this truly is. And perhaps to better understand how others observe these wonders.

After all, it is the same world.

Sammamish resident Larry Crandall is a retired educator who currently serves on the city’s Planning Commission.