March 30, 2011

Editor’s note. This post is in part an experiment. It was written from my phone and therefore may include (more) typos and grammar errors (than usual).

I have been thinking recently about perspective. It is one of those fantastic human things that skews and changes everything. It defines who we are, what we believe, even the choices we make.

Perspective is that which allows two humans with the same fact come to two different conclusions about what those facts mean.

Take the photo of the drink for instance.  Ski is a drink that many people in the U.S have never heard of. It is made with real lemon and orange juice, and in would describe it as perhaps a cross between Fresca and Mountain Dew with no nasty aftertaste.

Ski is my absolute favorite drink in the world. But when I have new people try this sweet ambrosia I always receive one of two reactions.

1) I love it. (This is the correct reaction, naturally)

2) It tastes like Mr. Clean!

And I kid you, the second reaction is always said word for word with no prompting from me. Mr. Clean is always the one mentioned.

This always leaves me wanting to ask a question, naturally. Namely, how do they know what Mr. Clean tastes like?

I’m always told things like scent, guess work, and imagination. To date no one has admitted to giving Mr. Clean a taste test.

Presented with as many facts as can be, a decision is made based in the end on preference.

This leads me over to questions I get asked alot.  Do I believe in a young earth or old earth? What about evolution?  (more on the the answer to those questions later)

Typically if the answer I give isn’t satisfactory I’m asked the usual follow up questions. How oh how can I not come to the “obvious” conclusion based on the facts?

As humans we put precedence on some facts while ignoring others. As humans we draw conclusions.  Sometimes these conclusions are really undeniable. But more often than not there is no way we can absolutely be 100% certain. We could be wrong.

So the answer to the question of how I can come to a different conclusion is really quite simple.

If we disagree it’s because I have a Mr. Clean perspective.