Thinking and Sources of Knowledge

How we see and perceive reality depends greatly on our personality and background. Some see more and more details (atomistic approach); others emphasize that the whole is more than the sum of the details (holistic approach). A similar pair of concepts is particular and universal. The particular can be expressed in parts like a beach, nation, or city. The universal is the whole, which generally applies to the ocean or the UN Charter. A photograph in the chapter illustrates how one can think in different ways. It analyzes what one can see if one puts on scientific, artistic, or mythological glasses. Bringing the different views together allows many perspectives and provides great power and inspiration.