"There is nothing more tragic than to see a person who has risen to the disciplined heights of tough-mindedness and has sunk to the passionless depths of hard-heartedness."- Martin Luther King Jr.

The other day, I was doing some research on storytelling. I landed on a very interesting academic paper titled Do Good stories produce good health? (Nairan Ramírez-Esparza and James W. Pennebaker; University of Austin, Texas). It explores what a good story is. How the narrative can change once we express ourselves through writing. Lastly, what the laboratory experiment Pennebaker used to explain the aftereffects of the writing process, the conclusion said a lot about how healthy it is to write, 2. How it helps to provide a better perspective,3. How little time it takes to turn poor mental health into healthier. The experience left individuals feeling better about themselves and with a positive outlook on the future.

Kendrick Lamar’s Heart Pt. 5 provides a glimpse into the thoughts of someone expressing their perspective from their heart.

As I get a little older, I realize life is perspective

And my perspective may differ from yours

I wanna say thank you to everyone that's been down with me

All my fans, all my beautiful fans

Anyone who's ever gave me a listen, all my people

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]

I come from a generation of pain, where murder is minor

Rebellious and Margielas'll chip you for designer

Belt buckles and clout, overzealous if prone to violence

Make the wrong turn, be it will or the wheel alignment

Residue burned, mist of the inner-city

Miscommunication to keep homi' detective busy

No protection is risky

Desensitized, I vandalized pain, covered up and camouflaged

Get used to hearin' arsenal rain

Analyze, risk your life, take the charge

Homies done fucked your baby mama once you hit the yard

That's culture

Twenty-three hour lockdown, then somebody called

Said your lil' nephew was shot down, the culture's involved

I done seen niggas do seventeen, hit the halfway house

Get out and get his brains blown out, lookin' to buy some weed

Car wash is played out, new GoFundMe accounts'll proceed

A brand-new victim'll shatter those dreams

The culture

What are the results, healing? It perpetuates connection while leaving room for individuality. Perspective, by definition, is a mental view or prospect. B) visible scene;c) The interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed (Merriam-Webster dictionary). In other languages perspective is not one word, it’s several. For example, Mikata 見方 means a perspective way of looking at something, while shiten 視点 is used for an individual viewpoint, Chinese kanfa看法 has the same pattern of specific words for different kinds of perspectives. By definition, humans view outwardly while processing internally. For the last 5 years, there’s been a lot of Internalizing masked as processing.

Overinternalizing ushers in cognitive overload. Cognitive overload reactions are paralysis, Anger, passivity, or understanding according to Mayo Clinic. Information of all kinds has been manipulated, chopped, and skewed purposefully to distort perceptions to make a sale or get a vote. This ultimately backfires, the New York Times had an article about how Trump has ruined the English language. Podcasters who endorsed and promoted his political platform are now changing their perspectives, while others reinforce their positions, calling to invoke the 25 amendment. His supporters are angry about the misinformation and untruths this administration has told. Did the perspective change because they’ve percolated from their heart center?

That may never be authentically answered. Whether there is a change in perspective. not only in politics but individual context coinciding with a worldview.

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What is perspective anyway?

Scholars throughout history have pondered and debated until psychology was established. The psychological explanation of perspective is defined in social learning theory. It suggests that we acquire perspectives through observation and modeling after significant others(Psychology Today). Models include parents, peers, social interactions, and influences. Once a child comes of societal age, they may keep or unlearn perspectives and behaviors no longer serving their needs. Perspective is a social construct; most believe their viewpoints are their own. Can people create their own viewpoints without interference from the outside world?

The answer is yes, because Bandura’s theory is not solely based on social learning instead it’s also cognitive filtration. As people interact with each other, they are also filteredmaking a thorough paying attention selectively, remembering what matters, assessing the risk, considering consequences, and then making a decision.

This is Heart pt 5; Kendrick Lamar made a conscious choice to express his deep feelings and perspectives, inevitably filterating selecting what matters while assessing the risk, creating a safe space. people to reflect on their own perspective and heal unhealthy emotional habits. His choice of words was clear and considerate. There’s love in his words, no sugar coating. He draws people in with his perspective because it’s pure emotion. According to the results of the experiment, when the participants expressed their rawest emotion, their writing had structure, balance, and emotional connections; furthermore less doctor visits.

Mr. Lamar's deep dive into self-actualization forced him to grow, heal, and reconnect with internal peace. Providing permission to love himself authentically. Is that what a heart-centered perspective is? Does it mean telling one’s authentic viewpoint?

I have thought about this since my aunt passed suddenly several weeks back. It has forced a reflection of my perspectives about life in general. Other questions, like am I thinking and writing from my heart or my ego? Am I seeing only what I want to see, instead of focusing on the truths of any situation? My aunt, as well as my mother and grandparents who raised me, have passed away triggering further reflection on the past; what was learned, what I need to unlearn?

Will answering and embracing these questions reset life more authentically?

Being authentic is embracing the good, bad, and ugly. There’s no sugar coating parts of the self. UC Berkeley explains why it’s important to be authentic in an article title the Importance of Authenticity.

The author states that being authentic is knowing what’s important and remaining true to those values regardless of external factors. If the expression of the heart is the most authentic, then the perspective expressed is also the most authentic.

What is the heart center?

Sanskrit explains the heart center, also known as the heart chakra, “anahata,” meaning “unbeaten or unstruck”. The belief is that even though the heart takes damage in life, it’s still indestructible. “To connect with the true heart, we need to visualize moving from the lower chest inward toward the spine. This deep place is the true heart chakra, often called the “inner cave” in the Katha Upanishad, an ancient Indian text on self-liberation through meditation.”(shaitubali.com)

Writing is a form of meditation, providing a framework to help guide an individual to their heart center, leading to their heart-centered perspective.

A current model of this is Mayor Zohran Mamdani; his administration has made it its mission to serve the people. He speaks from his heart without hesitation, no spite, or condemnation, bigotry, or slander. He has “ an open heart”. Guiding his perspectives in a positive but honest manner.

Application

In business, the most successful and effective approach is making decisions based on the customer, not the board. The service is to the customer, take Jay-Z and the NFL. They wanted global positioning for that to happen, they had to release biased information, and understand the global market works differently than the American Market. Look at what happened to Kanye “ye” - because his perspectives and opinions didn’t align with the culture reports of being barred from the UK , and pulled sponsorship. Unfortunately, the Wireless festival had to canceling and refund tickets. The collective is attracted to good deeds, leaders and authority figures producing from the heart center. Society connects when brands are empathetic; they are more willing to spend money on brands that impact society positively, be canceled because the individual stops feeling exploited.

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens."-- Carl Jung