Wednesday 4 April 2012

Do you need to broaden your perspective?

Shardik, Richard Adams

I must confess that I read this years ago, but it’s a novel that has frequently arisen in my thoughts, always when I feel cramped by a particular situation.  Remembering Shardik, I become aware that there’s always another perspective, one that’s broader than the last, and yet another that’s broader still. 
Just when we think we understand something, we suddenly become aware of something else that changes our understanding, and when we’re confident we now really know what’s going on, then another blast of information comes at us, making us realize how little we really knew beforehand. 

This is a metaphorical novel.  Because it’s about a bear, you might expect it to be an easy read.  But it’s complex and certainly offers no easy answers.  If you’re using it for literature therapy, it should help you to realize that we can never have the final answer.  Some new perspective is always lurking around the corner, despite how sophisticated and knowledgeable we think we are. 

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