The BIG Picture

“Okay, my young biologists, today we are going to talk about the process of converting water and carbon dioxide using photons and chlorophyll to make glucose and oxygen.”

As if rehearsed, the class groaned in harmony.

Mr. W. went on perkily, “I’m glad you guys are so amped up on learning about photosynthesis! But before we talk about all the details of this amazing process. I want to stress THE BIG PICTURE here.”

Another collective groan resounded from the class as Mr. W. rummaged behind his black lab table and pulled out this ornate massive frame with the words “THE BIG PICTURE” boldly in the center. Holding the frame up in the air for everyone to see, “So, what’s THE BIG PICTURE?”

Putting on his serious voice he went on, “Without photosynthesis no one would be here. Not you, or me, or any of the plants or animals. Not only does the process of photosynthesis allow plants to feed themselves and grow to give animals to something to eat; but, this process is also instrumental in creating oxygen in the atmosphere for all animals to breathe. Without photosynthesis life as we know it on this planet would most likely not exist. It is kind of a big deal.”

Mic Drop.

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The BIG Picture

Even to a 7^th grader, the framed “BIG PICTURE” was a pretty corny gimmick that produced a lot of eye rolls to be sure. But, just as with the photosynthesis lecture, there were many times he would go into the minutiae of the topic, only to then back out and give us “The BIG PICTURE” on how the specific science was important. He’d even occasionally take us outside into the woods to do ‘research’. It was in these moments that he connected his students, on a deep level, to the world around us.

Mr. W. was profound, funny, excitable, and ridiculously friendly. He was the kind of teacher you wanted to work hard for because if you didn’t do your absolute best you’d feel like you’re letting him down. Mr. W. was inspiring and probably greatly contributed to my respect to the environment and all its inhabitants. He taught all of his students a lot and had a passion for his craft. You could tell he loved science and teaching it, which, in turn, impassioned his pupil. He was my favorite teacher.

He taught us a lot, but I feel that “Big Picture” thinking was really the crown jewel he gave to his students. Don’t stress the small stuff or be too myopic; take the broad view and zoom out to look at things from a distance. Time is the big equalizer; it will always put things in perspective. And life is too short to be too concerned with the immaterial.

A Matter of Perspective

My issue with modern society (whether at work, in school, or even generally amongst friends) is that everyone seems obsessed with perfectionism or finding fault. If you forget a comma, misspell a word, or short a few dollars, you’d think it was the end of the world to some people. Check this out:

The mnid deos not raed idniviudal cahratcers, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Guess what, I bet you could read that sentence even with all those misspelled words. Let’s not get bogged down in the weeds. Let’s look at the entire field and all the potential possibilities it holds.

Understanding the Big Picture is more important than worrying about whether the specifics are 100% correct. In my opinion, the DEVIL is in the details; don’t let perfect get in the way of good, solid progress. Isn’t the most important part of anything its core meaning? Let’s not get too hung up on the details, and let it paralyze us. If needed, the details can always be ironed out later.

A husband and wife might argue about the husband forgetting to take out the trash. He missed the pickup for the week. Yes, he messed up, but the question is, in the grand scheme, would this trivial misstep really matter? Will you remember this particular instance 5 years from now (well maybe if he forgot every week!)? But would arguing really strengthen the marriage?

Couple Fighting - Big Picture — There are more important things in life than arguing over trivial crap.

No, it would not. Both should move on. You’ll get the garbage man next week. Love, working together, and respect for your partner are the big and important values that make a relationship work. If one spouse nitpicks everything constantly, well, I guess the divorce rate isn’t too surprising when viewed from that angle. Sometimes, getting too tangled up in the weeds is fruitless and counterproductive. Take a high-level overview of the situation, get the BIG PICTURE in focus, then you can dive into the details, if necessary.

Mr. W. gave his students a different mental framework of looking at the world – from a high-level view. He stressed to focus on what really is important. What is the overall goal and the simplest way to get there?

In a Nutshell

“Big Picture” thinking really spoke to me in all facets of my life – to help me prioritize what really was important from relationships and friendships, to work, and school. I’m not saying details aren’t also important, but taking a step back and looking at the subject from a broad overview perspective is a value, that I think, a lot of individuals gloss over nowadays.

I might not get everything right, hell I might not get anything right, but I know there is some value in discussing ideas. And even if there is an iota of truth buried in there, we’ve all gained something. Constructive criticism is encouraged, while trying to keep fruitless nitpicking down to a minimum. And if I don’t follow the rabbit hole deep enough, please feel free to do your own research!

Needless to say, taking a Big Picture view is a core principle of mine. And, in turn, I believe that the Big Picture outlook is vital in achieving our overall Grand Future vision.

So next time you get frustrated, or stuck in the minutiae of an issue, ask yourself, does this really matter? What really is the BIG PICTURE?

A Pale Blue Dot – Excerpt

I’d like to leave you all with this quote from one of my heroes, Carl Sagan.

Image of Earth caught in sunbeam – taking by Voyager 1 spacecraft from Pluto’s orbit

Look again at that dot. That’s here, That’s home, That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.
– Carl Sagan