Is someone's view of the world wrong or just different?

Like landscape vistas, world views are diverse

Today’s blog question was inspired by a visit to my local art museum. There was a docent leading children through a Georgia O’Keefe exhibit. I observed the docent ask a child what they thought about a painting. “I think that looks like ice on a vanilla ice cream cone,” smiled the child. The docent replied, “No, that’s not ice. There wouldn’t be ice in an arid climate like this.”  

The connection that the child made between the art and their own experience was awesome. That’s really what art is all about: Engaging your imaginative participation through the lens of your life. How sad to see this squashed by an adult who sent the message that your view of the world isn’t right.  This mind set that says my view is right and yours is wrong has much broader implications than simply interpreting art in a museum. It has led to the polarization of our culture in areas like religion, politics and corporate life.  In our own lives, we need to reflect on how we engage people with questions. Do we seek to understand someone’s view of the world or are we quick to dismiss it because it’s different from ours?

How do you see art?  You can comment when you join the blog by clicking on the follow link in the upper right corner next to Google +. Thanks for reading!