Is it important to change our
perspective on the world to understand how others see it? Stephen R. Covey, the
author of “The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People”, has a sub-section in his book that explains the “power
of paradigms”. A paradigm, “is how we ‘see’ the world - not in terms of our
visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding, (and)
interpreting” (31). Covey effectively uses personal experiences and other
examples to appeal to the audience of those that want to improve themselves to
become more interdependent such as parents, business owners, or those trying to
lose weight. He does this by appealing to us with emotion, credibility, and
logic in order to inform us about how to change the way we see the world around
us for the better.
During the time Covey expands on the
power of a paradigm, he uses a well written personal experience he had many
times during his life. It starts out in his class at Harvard University, when
the teacher gave two pictures of two different women to each side of the class.
The teacher then showed a picture that looked like both of the pictures. The
class had to explain to each other their view of the picture, which caused an
argument. Eventually, the classmates showed each other their paradigms of the
picture, and the conflict was resolved.
This affects us emotionally because this
experience gives us the opportunity to see how we, and those around us, feel
about different points of view. People have these kinds of experiences all the
time. Certain things come up, and people will have different opinions of what
should be done and how things should be. When the students were debating if the
picture was an old woman or a young woman, there were indifferent feelings
towards each side of the class. Maybe anger, frustration, and irritation. How
many times in history has the conflict of blindness of each other’s paradigms
caused conflict in the world? Misunderstood points of views have started wars
and broken relationships.
Once people understand one another’s
paradigm, things can become so much better. Just like the students at Harvard,
they eventually took the time to explain and show how each side of the class
was right. It made them feel less frustrated. They could feel more accepting to
the other’s view points. Anyone can relate to this story emotionally. Everyday
people will go through experiences where two opinions will conflict with each
other. They will just need to decide to either take no effort to see where the
other is coming from or to try to see each other’s paradigm.
Covey explains that a “map” (31) is our paradigm. It is the way we
perceive what is going on around us. He uses an example of having a map of
Chicago. Using this example he says, “Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific
location in central Chicago” (31). He explains that having a map of Chicago
would be of great use to getting to that specific place. But, if you had a map that was not of Chicago
and you were trying to get to that place, it would not be effective.
If someone were to try and improve
different attributes such as their “behavior” (31) or “attitude” (31). Without
the right tools and maps, they would not be able to improve their attributes.
Covey explains, “… You’d be lost. The fundamental problem has nothing to do
with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having the
wrong map” (31). Through these examples of having maps, Covey explains the
logic of the power of paradigms.
This is another experience we all
face. We all want to improve ourselves, but we sometimes do not want to use the
tools given to us to achieve what is wanted. This example explains what is
needed before we are able to use our paradigms and help others see what we
believe and see in the world. We all need preparation to understand what we
perceive in the world. As we continue to find the correct map for our lives, it
prepares us to encounter other peoples’ maps.
With all this insight, Covey relates
to explain the power of paradigms. He does not expand on factual evidence. The
only times he uses such things is when he explains the definition of a
paradigm.
Stephen R. Covey uses pathos and
logos strongly to explain the power of paradigms, but he chooses to not use
ethos too much. He chooses to uses a personal experience and other examples of
how paradigms are important and how influential they are in our lives to help
us understand how to become interdependent.
Works Cited
Covey,
Stephen R.. The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster,
1989,
2004. Print.
