Kepler was an astronomer who had probably written the first science fiction novel when he discussed the lizard like creatures that lived on the Moon and assumed Earth revolved around the Moon – much like many thought the Sun revolved around the Earth. He argued, “What we see is dependent on where we see from.”

It is quite interesting to see two parties so fully emotionally opposed to each other on an event that is occurring right before their very eyes. Much like the current political, social and cultural events of the day.  A man is arrested.  One side says he is a crook and deserves swift justice and the other side says he is a “victim of society” and should be quickly vindicated.

I remember one of the most fascinating experiments I participated in high school.  The teacher handed out a “data sheet” describing the personality of a particular individual. That data sheet included their past history, their current undertakings and what was planned for their future.

We were then asked to watch a scene that was to take place at the front of the room at the teachers desk.  A student walks into the room and quietly talks to the teacher (a female teacher).  The teacher then gets up and walks out of the room (we are told the teacher is not to return).  After a few moments the student sees the teachers purse, picks it up, puts it in his backpack and leaves the room.

We were then asked a series of questions about the student.  The main one being, “what do you think he did with the purse?”

Half of the class said he would track down the teacher and return it.  The other said he would take it home, steal anything of worth and then dispose of the purse.

Arguments erupted.  How can you be such a bleeding heart thinking he was going to return it and how can you be such a fascist to believe he was going to steal it?  The teacher let this go on for about 15 minutes.

We were then told why we were so crazed about the other half of the student’s positions. You see, half of the class was told the student was a try hero Boy Scout, always seeking to help others, and honor student, a leader in his community.  The other half of the class was told the student was a juvenile delinquent, always out for himself, always looking for a way to cheat someone out of something he, the student, didn’t have.

So, you see, it all depends upon “how you look” at something.

Now, there can be an entire new experiment that centers on “people change”.  That is, the Boy Scout may have ended up stealing the purse and the juvenile delinquent may have returned the purse.

In any event, my point here is – try to look at an argument from all angles prior to taking your stand.