How Does Perspective Shape or Alter Truth?

What one may interpret as the truth another might believe is an absurd assumption on reality. Perspective shapes how reality is translated into thoughts and view points. Culturally, individuals of different backgrounds, religions, and nationalities posses different ideas of truth, even if it's as simple as what one deems a good afternoon snack or an extraordinary genre of music. Personally, when I traveled to Thailand this summer I was amazed with how differently the locals thought and how it shaped their lifestyles. In the last days of the trip, I visited a rural community in the hills of Chang Mai where I was to do service. The village was virtually penniless. Houses were composed of mere metal slabs and soggy wood. Houses wore large holes on their sides and the water supply was both shy and erratic in it's behavior. Large, muddy hills were the only passages to squalid school buildings that were scattered along dangerous terrain, patched with disintegrating stairways. It was not an ideal living situation. And yet, these people possessed an overwhelming sense of happiness, kindness, and appreciation for simplicity. They possessed a positive perspective on life that granted them the gift to be thankful for every day and every helping hand willing to donate their time to their humble village. These people glowed with life. From an outsider's eye, living in this village for more than a week would seem unbearable, and yet these locals were perfectly content and satisfied in their modest surroundings. It's amazing how a multitude of perspectives flood our world, shaping minds and altering the truth of reality. Our minds are capable of conjuring every human emotion and thought that it's near impractical not to shape or alter the truth through perspective.

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter themselves by altering their attitudes of mind."
William James

In literature, perspective so largely shapes plot. Characters' downfalls are exposed through their perspectives. Or perhaps their ultimate superiority is exposed by the way they interpret reality into truth. In any manner, perspective is a defining trait that allows readers to dig deeper into the text and truly explore the complex ideas illustrated by the author. We must fully understand that "everything we see is a perspective, not the truth" (Marcus Aurelius), especially in literature.