Blog #4

Maggie Vincent

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

30 July 2013

Through a Different Lense

      Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher during the eighteenth century. He believed that we all saw the world in our own shade of red. Nothing is actually different, just the way each person perceives it. Kant called this the "red tinted glasses" experiment. The shade we see it in is based on our own knowledge and experiences. Since no one has the same knowledge as another person, no one sees in quite the same shade of red.

      Every person has different experiences that color their red tinted glasses. One thing that definitely effects how I see things is my upbringing. I grew up in a good, stable home with loving parents and siblings. I believe that because of this, I look at relationships with other people more positively and with more trust. However, in the last couple of years, I had a serious change in my perspective of the world. Two years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. With this diagnosis came some serious growing up and a very different worldview. It seemed like everywhere I looked there was someone with cancer. My surroundings did not actually change, only the way I viewed everything around me. Even now, with my mom cancer free, my perspective has not returned to what it was before. This one experience changed my view drastically and permanently.

      Kant thought that everyone's knowledge effected how he or she saw his or her surroundings. These "red tinted glasses" changed for each person over time as they matured. As each person learns more and goes through life, their view of the world changes and adjusts. I know that my perspective now will not be my perspective in thirty years. With my own knowledge and experience, I look at something in a completely different way than the person standing right next to me.