Need a new perspective on things?
How you choose to label an experience or situation forms your personal perspective. It is very subjective and easily influenced by other people’s opinions. Thus, perspectives can often be a distorted view of what is actually going on.
Our distorted perceptions affect how we live. They tend to create unnecessary fears, prompt us to react in the wrong way, and ignite conflict.
If you find yourself in any of these situations, it would be a good idea to pause and consider whose opinions are influencing the way you behave or react to things. We encourage you to go beyond those influences and try to see the situation for what it truly is.
Today’s collection of perspective quotes can help you see things in a new way. It can lead you to a better way of understanding a situation and finding a fresh solution to long-standing challenges.
The Benefits of a Fresh Perspective
In addition to giving you a better handle on a situation and new solutions to existing issues, a fresh perspective also has a host of other benefits, including:
The following quotes are from wise men and women who have arrived at a deeper understanding about perception, as well as of the importance of having a fresh perspective when things are getting rough.
Through this collection of quotes, may you find inspiration and gentle encouragement to see the world with new eyes.
Inspiring Perspective Quotes to Get a Fresh Look at a Life Challenge
- “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is perspective, not the truth.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, “What else could this mean?” – Shannon L. Alder
- “In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” – Bertrand Russell
- “Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.” – Robert Morgan
“Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.” – Robert Morgan
- “The greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their entire lives believing the only perspective that matters is their own.” – Doug Baldwin
- “If you're wondering what I mean by “miracle”, it's simple: a miracle is a shift in perspective from fear to love.” – Gabrielle Bernstein
- “Perspective is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life.” – Joni Eareckson Tada
- “The moment you change your perception, is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.” – Bruce H. Lipton
- “There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley
- “It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.” – George Elliot
- “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.” – Stephen R. Covey
- “I'm just thankful for everything, all the blessings in my life. I think that's the best way to start your day and finish your day. It keeps everything in perspective.” – Tim Tebow
- “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into perspective.” – Anton Chekov
- “All spiritual practice is the art of shifting perspectives.” – Teal
- “It's important to have people who are absolutely willing to say you're wrong or who have a totally different perspective than you do on everything. Fresh ideas are hard to come by, and good ones are even harder.” – Shonda Rhimes
- “If we don’t have a sense of humor, we lack a sense of perspective.” – Wayne Thiebaud
- “Winners have the ability to step back from the canvas of their lives like an artist gaining perspective. They make their lives a work of art — an individual masterpiece.” – Denis Waitley
- “Never write about a place until you’re away from it, because that gives you perspective.” – Ernest Hemingway
- “Perspective is the way we see things when we look at them from a certain distance and it allows us to appreciate their value.” – Rafael E. Pino
- “The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.” – Al Neuharth
- “Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.” – Dan Brown
- “As we abide in sleep, intuitively resonating with the sum of all our experiences—this life and beyond—we gain refreshing perspective on our efforts and have an opportunity to remember what we know.” – Henry Reed
- “Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being. It shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life, which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality.” – Jen Sincero
- “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” – Albert Einstein
- “We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them.” – John Irving
“We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them.” – John Irving
- “What I need is perspective. The illusion of depth, created by a frame, the arrangement of shapes on a flat surface. Perspective is necessary. Otherwise there are only two dimensions. Otherwise you live with your face squashed up against a wall, everything a huge foreground, of details, close-ups, hairs, the weave of the bedsheet, the molecules of the face. Your own skin like a map, a diagram of futility, criscrossed with tiny roads that lead nowhere. Otherwise you live in the moment. Which is not where I want to be.” – Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale)
- “Often it isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the little pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali
- “If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” – Henry Miller (Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch)
- “Attachment constrains our vision so that we are not able to see things from a wider perspective.” – The Dalai Lama
- “It's useful to go out of this world and see it from the perspective of another one.” – Terry Pratchett
- “One person's craziness is another person's reality.” – Tim Burton
- “Distance lends enchantment to the view.” – Mark Twain
- “Is someone different at age 18 or 60? I believe one stays the same.” – Hayao Miyazaki
- “The moment you have a child, in an instant your life is not for you, and your life is completely, 100 percent dedicated to another human being, and they will always come first. It changes you forever. It changes your perspective, and it gives you a nice purpose and focus.” – Angelina Jolie
- “When it rains it pours. Maybe the art of life is to convert tough times to great experiences: we can choose to hate the rain or dance in it.” – Joan Marques
- “The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole.” – McLandburgh Wilson
“The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole.” – McLandburgh Wilson
- “What is behind your eyes holds more power than what is in front of them.” – Gary Zukav
- “While you'll feel compelled to charge forward it's often a gentle step back that will reveal to you where you and what you truly seek.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
- “The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one.” – Brooks Atkinson
- “Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport.” – Steven Furtick
- “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer
- “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl
- “Seeing is believing, but the truth depends on your point of view.” – Priyanshu Raghuvansh
- “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
- “Remember, you see in any situation what you expect to see.” – David Schwartz
- “We begin to learn wisely when we're willing to see world from other people's perspective.” – Toba Beta
- “The difference between hope and despair is a different way of telling stories from the same facts.” – Alain de Botton
Final Thoughts on Perspective
Perspective is subjective. Just like what we see in a room, the things we perceive often depend on where we’re standing.
Sometimes, we cannot solve a long-standing issue because we’re looking at the problem from the wrong perspective. Looking at a challenge in a fresh way can often provide a satisfactory solution.
We hope that today’s collection of perspective quotes encouraged you to look at life from a new perspective. In doing so, you may be able to see the wonders that have been there all along, waiting for you to look with new eyes.
The willingness to look at things with a new perspective brings success, and so does a growth mindset. If you’re interested in learning more about the correlation between a person’s mindset and success, this post provides an in-depth discussion of the topic.
May you continue looking at the world with new eyes!
And if you want more eye-opening quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 155 Best Gratitude Quotes and Sayings to Inspire an Attitude of Gratitude
- 77 Life is Short Quotes to Help You Enjoy 2023
- 83 Quotes About Understanding Others and Your Relationships
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then watch this free video that details the 7-minute habit for planning your day to focus on what's truly important to you..
