Embracing Objectivity: Journeying Towards Summits Of Human Fulfilment
“The faculty to think objectively is reason; the emotional attitude behind reason is that of humility. To be objective, to use one's reason, is possible only if one has achieved an attitude of humility, if one has emerged from the dreams of omniscience and omnipotence which one has as a child. […] I must try to see the difference between my picture of a person and his behavior, as it is narcissistically distorted, and the person's reality as it exists regardless of my interests, needs and fears.” Erich Fromm
Objectivity is commonly defined as the ability to separate truth from our beliefs, to rely on the factual reality of a situation, independent of our biases, emotions and personal perceptions. A celebrated idea across different schools of thought, it might actually arouse some skepticism, since reality is too vast and multitudinous to be singularly defined. In fact, one of the best joys of life is the ability to craft and design our own realities. If there is no objective reality and if our own perceptions are inextricably linked to our imagination of the world, what is the virtue in being objective? Can we be objective, in the first place?
The answer to these questions, very much like reality, is not singular. It is indeed true that reality is too boundless to be measured by one interpretation and that our own perspectives ultimately create our realities. Yet, it is possible to harmoniously juxtapose these subjective domains with rational and critical thinking. Reality might be ours to imagine, but is our imagination not flawed? Is knowledge ever complete and without biases? This is where the utility and significance of objectivity comes into play.
Based on our experiences, attained consciously and subconsciously, our perceptions often operate on pre-packaged ideas and we end up perceiving an object under our predetermined judgement. Consequently, a flawed judgement can also mar our realities. For example, if your boss seems intimidating to you, it is highly likely that you might feel intimidated and nervous during interactions with him, which can negatively affect your communication and competence. This is purely a cognitive problem whereby we imagine a flawed reality and can be countered with objective calculations. Responding to the aforementioned situation, if your boss does appear intimidating, it is good to ask yourself why and assess the situation vigilantly. It is extremely possible to find your boss not intimidating at all after a rational appraisal, since everyone is placed in a professional setting with specific roles and nothing extraordinary to fear.
Professor Elizabeth R. Thornton, writing for Huffpost, comes up with an articulation of her objectivity-championing theory, replacing the well-known quote, “I think therefore I am” by Descartes with “It is, therefore I see”. Thornton states,
“I believe from an empirical perspective, how we experience the world every day, that there is an objective reality. I call it "It is, therefore I see." In other words, everything that is part of our world, for which we can say it is, whether we see it or not, is our objective reality. For example, the other day I was driving to a meeting. I got off the highway and started following an unfamiliar route in the city. I was thinking about what I wanted to say at the meeting, who would be there -- everything but the driving. All of a sudden I heard a loud "thud," and was bounced uncomfortably on my seat. My car had hit a pothole. Nothing I could do or say or feel would change the objective reality of that pothole. Whether I see it or not, it is!”
This approach to perceive external realities just the way they are is a powerful way to not just deal with hardship, but also carefully navigate your effort towards meeting your goals. Without unreasonable optimism and pessimism, delusion and fancy, it is extremely possible to be single mindedly dedicated to your prosperity and fulfillment. Objectivity makes a colossal difference by allowing you the imagination and ambition to imagine and craft your own reality, while operating rationally with all external factors which might come in the way of self-fashioning and your endeavours.
Objectivity is a rejection of fear, of bias, and of delusion that leads us to assess our gains and losses fruitfully and make better sense of the world to flourish in it. With objectivity, you can accept things as they exist, make reasonable effort to change things which you can and not get swayed by irrational concerns and this, arguably, is a core ingredient of long-term peace and harmony in life.
