TFY ch. 8 summary- Viewpoints: What's the Filter?

The dictionary definition of viewpoint is, “An attitude of mind, or a position from which something is observed or considered.” My definition of view point is an opinion or attitude based on observation. To detach from your own viewpoint and assume another person’s viewpoint is an important skill to possess. This skill allows us to communicate better with others and gain new insight and perspective. In literature authors can write using a first person narrative or view point, a third person viewpoint, or multiple points of view from several different characters. Viewpoints like assumptions, opinions, and evaluations can be created consciously or unconsciously. Our view points are shaped by a number of factors, education, culture, and emotions are some of those factors. I am an emotional person. My opinions and view points are sometimes affected by my emotions. For example, when I read about atrocities from around the world against men, women, children, or animals, I become genuinely emotional and feel deep sorrow for the victims. When I think of the villainous people who commit those atrocities, feelings of hate, disgust, and anger rise to the surface. This is an example of my emotions affecting a conscious viewpoint of mine. An egocentric is a person who believes everything revolves around them, and they have little or no regard for the beliefs, interests, and attitudes of others. The author states, “As we grow out of egocentrism we develop the ability to be exterior to our own viewpoint-to see and recognize it from the outside, objectively. We learn how to see the world through the eyes of others.” A good example of this quote is the saying people always use when they want someone to look at things from their point a view, “Walk a mile in my shoes.” The author notes two other unconscious viewpoints along with egocentrism. Ethnocentrism is an attitude that judges people by one’s own cultural practices, values, and standards, as though these were reasonable norms. Religiocentrism is a term that describes a person’s attitude when they assume their religion is the only religion, or the only religion with correct beliefs. In the political scene there are two major viewpoints, liberal and left, or conservative and right. Liberals advocate the ensuring and respecting of civil rights, they are tolerant of alternative lifestyles, ethnic diversity, and religious orientations, they support minimum wage increases, stricter gun control, equitable taxation, and oppose tax loopholes and subsides for corporations. Conservatives on the other hand, believe in tax reductions for those with higher incomes, they support a high military budget and military solutions for problems; they support less gun control, and oppose abortion and gay marriage. One of their main concerns is preserving and generating wealth, and they are committed to furthering the interests of corporations. Centrist or moderate perspectives and viewpoints do exist within the two parties. They can agree sometimes. I place myself in the category of a moderate liberal. People think TV news shows, newspapers, and magazines are unbiased and their purpose is to keep us informed, but they are really successful business enterprises. They want to keep you entertained and sell you products. There are hidden viewpoints in everything they present. News framing is a term that describes the way an editor uses layout design, placement, and headlines to sensationalize, downplay, exaggerate, or convey importance. Conducting frame analysis will help a person recognize which information a given viewpoint will try to emphasize, minimize, or omit. After analyzing, we can then start to understand how all of these suggestive elements have a calculated affect on us, the readers. The author notes, “Frame analysis habits teach us to detach from the influence of the frame and gain a more objective perspective on the hidden viewpoint it expresses.” The message of this chapter is, just because it is written in a newspaper or reported on the news doesn’t mean you should to take it for face value. Information in the media is filtered through human viewpoints. The media will never report just the facts, there will always be hidden viewpoints intertwined with what they report. Practice frame analysis, detach from the influence of the frame, and allow yourself to gain a deeper objective perspective on hidden viewpoints. Think for yourself.