When we say something is true “in a broader sense” we are in fact promoting a broader view of an issue, concept, or situation. This phrase is a way of putting that what is immediately seen is rarely the whole picture and that in order to understand what is going on we have to get a little more Cosmic. It’s a call to broaden your thinking and appreciate how various factors, influences and consequences interact with one another and the larger picture.
The Importance of Context
Understanding something “from a wider perspective” helps in context, which is important to grasping complex issues. When discussing a societal problem, for instance, it’s tempting only to address the third level — the visible symptoms such as unemployment, inequality or crime. But if we step back and see the problem a little more holistically, we may find the root causes behind these visible things — historical oppression, systems of economic organization, structural inequalities.
Broader perspective helps us get out of the immediate environment and disperse this particular situation to the wider network of interacting factors. This richer insight is key to addressing enduring challenges.
Extending Beyond the Individual
Most often, people look at things in a very individualistic way based on what they feel and what they see. All that said, individual perspectives are limited. In comparison, analyzing things in a bigger picture forces us to think beyond our own interests and identify how much events construct collectively.
Just think about climate change for a second. In fact, it’s easy to look at the issue as an environmental one that also happens to be confined to certain parts of the world or certain countries. But when we think about this issue “in a broader sense,” we understand that it has worldwide implications, impacting ecosystems, economies and human populations both locally and globally. A wide-angle view also reminds us that the causes of climate change, such as industrialization, deforestation and unsustainable consumption, is tightly entwined with human society and history.
General Sense in Philosophy and Morality
So much of philosophical debate turns on how we’re going to construe some “in a broader sense.” Many ethical questions — the ones about justice, or rights, or fairness — compel us to rise above opinions and spend time thinking about the well-being of groups, or society as a whole. That has long been the argument of philosophers as to why it’s crucial to step back from one’s own narrow perspective and assess morality from the level of society or even the world.
Ethical considerations regarding global poverty, for example, are far more nuanced when examined from a broader perspective. A narrow view might consider it merely a problem for governments to solve, while a broader view includes how policies around global trade, wealth distribution and even historical colonialism contribute to continuing poverty around the world.
The Broader Sense and Better Decision-Making
Living “in a broader sense,” both personally and professionally, enables us to make better decisions. Whether you’re designing a business plan, evaluating a personal relationship, or assessing a societal trend, the bottom line is that a broader perspective will yield more objective and thorough choices. It allows you to weigh long-term impacts and unintended effects that might otherwise be ignored.
For example, a corporation focused only on short-term profitability might overlook its environmental footprint. But if the company saw the situation “more broadly,” she says, taking into account future environmental degradation and social responsibility, it might change to more sustainable practices.
‘Therefore, the previous ones feel more alarming than they are.
Taking a wider perspective is not just a way of thinking; it’s a frame of mind that invites empathy, critical thinking, and foresight. Whether for personal development, societal advancement, or environmental responsibility, this wider world view is needed for us to make wiser choices and promote empathy between different peoples and communities.
When this ability is used, we become smarter and more capable of solving problems, but it also leads to a better and more fair world, since it makes us responsible for the common good, on a wider scale. If we are to employ strategies that foster a perspective that acknowledges the bigger picture, we can foster a more deliberate and fairer future.
