The Pardes Perspective

Hi! I’m Oren I. Pardes.

Welcome to The Pardes Perspective: An Oren‘s Eye View!

All posts, quotes, and reviews shared on this site (and on any of my several others listed in the Links) endeavor to educate and entertain, enlighten and explain, edify and elevate, encourage and empower – and provoke visiting and returning readers to reflect and think for themselves.

“Like minds” seldom have any actual benefit to anyone – only aligned intentions. Compatible complimentary differing views, skills, and roles are needed to create synergy – and harmony.

I do not seek nor expect readers to “agree” – or to “impress” anyone with my looks, brains, personality, social status, “credentials”, or “wisdom” – but do hope readers will make an attempt to comprehend and consider the “unique” personal perspective I attempt to share. The main reason for me to publicly post anything at all is not to “convince” anyone of anything but sincere hope that at least some of I might share might in be of some “use” or “value” or “benefit” to someone else (I probably will never ever meet, know, or even receive any feedback from, but who after reading and thinking about something I wrote might “apply” or “modify” something in their life and choices – to help make something “better” or a bit more “clear”).

You are welcome to keep or change your own “understanding”, “opinion”, and “beliefs”. Please contemplate mine and then share in the comment section how yours might in any way differ – or have “changed” after reading my attempt at articulating whatever I felt at some particular time was “worth” publicly publishing for unknown others to read.

Whatever may be “true” for anyone at any point can “change” over time, with circumstances, and from perspective – but this does not mean everything is relative. Some things are or are not really so – despite what anyone might claim, believe, desire, or prefer. Most of what we think and believe is “subconscious” and “beneath” our conscious awareness. Most thoughts, feelings, reactions, choices, and (habitual) behaviors are based upon (“made-up”) STORIES.

Humans are story creatures – making up meanings in their minds to interpret everything they perceive and experience. Facts, actual events, and “objective reality” matter much less than what people tell themselves or others they “mean”. Individual and societal stories and interpretations of anything we believe happened, was said, was done, “exists”, or did not, greatly influences what we individually and collectively believe, value, expect, choose, and how we tend to behave.

The lives and world we have created and the relationships or lack of them we have with others are the result of stories (one or more of us mostly just made up in our minds and chooses to believe). Stories can and do change. Few stories today seem inspiring, edifying, or encouraging. What examples are there to emulate or provide hope? Any good MYTH encourages people to Make Themselves The Hero – of their own lives and own stories. This website has my name, and features my viewpoints, but any possible “value” it might offer will come less from my words than from how its readers “respond”. I seek to “shine a light” on the “good”, the “possible”, and the appreciation (and increase in value) of assets, resources, and opportunities. I hope you will Help Me Help You Help Others to create better stories and interpretations. Again, you need not ever “empathize” or “agree” with anything I “emphasize”. That is not my expectation or intent. Interaction is welcome and encouraged.

Although inspired or influenced by others, all opinions and insights expressed on this site are those of Oren I. Pardes (at the time posted). Please “cite” all on this site as my sight or my story from hindsight. Reader responses are valued but this is primarily MY site – and mind sight. Please accept and respect that. Thank you.

Consider and evaluate everything you choose to read on my site based on its own “merit” or interest and relevance to your life rather than defer or discard due to its “source”. This site may be mine, but to the extent that it is possible, it is not about ME – so don’t expect me to share “my story” or “qualifications” or try to “earn the right” to share anything – especially what and/or how I perceive and interpret whatever I choose to write about (for YOUR “benefit”).

Humans see more with the mind than with the eye alone. What you and I and others mind is a result of many things – more of which are inside us than outside us. Perception is probably mostly projection – from a particular perspective – and a reflection of whatever is assumed, expected, accepted, or already believed withing our minds than “awareness” or interpretation of anything “outside”. What or how you and I “see” probably differs. That’s why you are here!

Many words initiate with the letter “I” – including: integrity, intelligence, and imagination, but it is mostly insight and interpretation that are “imperative” for influence and impact and preferred as prerequisites for “proper” perspective.

While often “I” tend to think and write as if there is “more” to everything (and everyone) than is obviously apparent – and attempt to include and integrate important information, interesting ideas, insightful interpretations, and inherent implications from various viewpoints, The Pardes Perspective does NOT follow a “formal” formulaic fourfold “PARDES” approach to presenting (first at face value, second as a metaphor, third conceptually, and fourth attempting to reveal, understand, explain or exploit what may be hidden). “I” mostly just attempt to “articulate” what to and from my “eye” seems “appropriate” (and/or most assumed to be understandable by or beneficial to random people I do not know).

What and how we think influences what and how we think, feel, and act – and our results, outcomes, and experience.

Many things are not always obvious. Many are counterintuitive. Sometimes “success” requires a different approach – or understanding or even definition – from a different point of view. Understanding, appreciation, and mastery often exist along different lines, at different levels, and at different ages or stages. My hope is that something you read on this site will in some way benefit you (and then also possibly others through you – whom I might never reach nor know about). Perhaps even more valuable might be someone else reading something YOU choose to share as a comment to a post.

Where we are coming from is often as important as where we are going. Where, when, how, and why we start, stop, stand, or study affects what and how we (can and/or cannot) see – and, thus, where we can go and what we can do (from any point and at any time). Many things can be foreseen – but many more cannot, until a certain point in time and space or consciousness is reached. Each of us also has a blind spot. We need others to see for us what we cannot.

Like optical illusions with more than one image that can be seen depending on what we focus our attention on, sought after secrets and solutions sometimes suddenly appear in plain sight – if/when/after we change how we see and think.

Those regarded as understanding, accomplishing, or enjoying “more” than others are usually those most willing and able to approach, accept, appreciate, and apply a little (or a lot) differently than most people tend to think, see, or do.

Putting things into perspective usually means more than just recognizing the relationship, relativity, and relevance of content (in and out of context) but also often perceiving and presenting it from different possible points of view. Each experience, particular perspective, and unique understanding is only an incomplete aspect or piece of a bigger picture we may not ever be able to fully perceive, comprehend, or appreciate in its entirety (nor possibly really even need to).

There may or may not be any absolute and unchanging truths, but perspectives are, by definition, subjective, relative, and conditional – with confidence, competence, consciousness, content, causation, correlation, and connections contingent upon context and criteria. Our personal perception is mainly projection, reflection, and interpretation of what we expect and/or can accept. We all have beliefs, biases and blind spots that may limit our view and prevent seeing or understanding what or how others might from where they are. There are always other ways, times, and places to look and understand.

That’s MY perspective. What’s yours?

YOUR interaction and input is welcomed, desired, and much appreciated. Please comment and share YOUR perspective(s)!

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