A Big Picture perspective is about stepping back from yourself to look at life.
It is natural to see the world around us simply from our own point of view. That's how life starts: "Hungry - feed me!" "Cold - warm me!" "Lonely - love me!" And it's necessary for survival. All living things have that same self-centred instinct. When it comes to people, that selfish perspective is called ego.
Although humans are basically the same as other animals, hominids have the ability to think BIG! Genetically we're almost identical to chimpanzees, but hominids (humans being the only kind left) have the capacity for more sophisticated thinking than any other animal. In particular, all humans are able to know that they are thinking. We can think about the thoughts we're thinking. The fancy term is meta-cognition. That is different from other life forms. We can step back and see ourselves in our mind's eye.
Most people's view of the world is influenced by that egoistic instinct, so we see things from a human point of view. We put humans at the centre of our perspective. We have a human-centric view of the world. In fact, most cultures have an even narrower perspective - a male centred view, which is reflected in patriarchal language, society, culture and law.
As human awareness, intellect and consciousness has developed over the centuries, individuals have been able to expand their perspective of existence from individual, to family, to community, to state, to flat world, to round world, to universe. Although many people retain more primitive perspectives, the world we live in, the one with computers, mobile phones and flight, is a universal world which operates according to natural, or universal law.
Today's scientific understanding spans the full spectrum of existence, from subatomic to universal, both physical and metaphysical: E=mc2. We lean on science because it's reliable, testable and resilient, whereas myths, legends and religion are not. Myths, legends and religion are about dogma and mantra rather than finding answers. We found long ago that myths and legends can be fun, interesting and educational, but if they are treated as facts, the consequences are costly and painful. Science is all about finding answers and then challenging and testing them to make sure they're right. We challenge our own thinking because it helps prevent waste and mistakes. This is called critical thinking. It's the approach we take and we advocate it strongly.
"Religion is answers that may not be questioned.
Philosophy is questions that might never be answered."
What science tells us today is that everything is connected and everything is part of everything else. We exist in a holonic universe.
Let's consider some concepts which help stretch our thinking in this direction:
In the beginning was nothing, then came a "BANG" and the universe started; everything in the universe today came from that microcosm of stardust billions of years ago; so we are made from the same stardust that makes up the planet, moon and sun ...
The components of atoms are the same irrespective of whet element the atom comprises.
Atoms are made of electrons spinning around nuclei (proton and neutron). Everything that is not nucleus and not electron is empty space (not even air). The empty space occupies a volume considerably more than the nucleus or electrons, so there's is far more nothing than something in the world we touch. How does it seem so solid? The atomic forces hold everything together and create differences in perception and behaviour. It is the metaphysical dimension that influences existence not the physical.
So a big picture perspective means looking at situations dispassionately, as if from outside the situation and thinking about them critically in the context of universal laws. It is a universal perspective. Not always easy to do, especially when you're worrying about your homework assignment, paying bills or your relationship with your parent, partner or child. But it helps if you can step-back.
A universal perspective is not tied to your personal view of the world but recognises the interconnectedness of all existence, of which you are a part. It respects the similarities of seemingly discrete entities which in fact must all follow the laws of nature, from the particles that make up atoms, to the atoms that make up life and the universe.
We use the technical term "holonic", rather than "holistic", to describe this perspective. The terms are similar and sometimes used interchangeably, however, "holistic" suggests discrete boundaries between entities whereas "holonic" does not. This is important. A universal perspective recognises that everything is connected to and is a part of everything else. This is not an easy idea to grasp if you've been brought up in a world of discrete facts and it shows in how people use "holistic". Holistic language often suggests that being holistic is separate from everything and everything else. It is an exclusive perspective. Holonic, however, is an inclusive perspective. For example, if you take a holistic perspective you might say "The government is bad." or "What have they done to my world?" whereas with a holonic perspective you might say "Our government is bad." or "What have we done to our world?".
This Big Picture perspective is not easy to grasp because we are all nurtured in a specific culture which moulds our perspective. In order to see beyond our own prejudices, we must give them up, or at least be prepared to do so. We begin to recognise that what were perceived as differences between people were similarities which were obscured by a culture, or meme, which shaped a different perspective. We become confortable with the idea that "all is one" and that universal laws, laws of nature, do not chandge and apply to everything.
The big picture, whole systems, holonic mindset has become more accessible with the growth of the internet. The growth of communcation has catalysed the manifestation of the organism "humanity". The global interconnectedness of people and ideas has blossomed in the past couple of decades. Once upon a time ideas flowed along a "grape-vine" as people chatted with one another. As communcations accelerated with writing, printing, telecommunications the shared awareness of ideas and current events became greater and more instant. Nowadays, the connections between us all allow ideas to flow around the world, among people from all cultures, in an instant. This rapid sharing of ideas has manifested a kind of brain of humanity: Each of us is a thinking node, like a neuron in a brain, and we're receiving and sending messages all the time and behaving in response to the communication flow we're part of. This brain of humanity is called the "noosphere". The consciousness of the noosphere is growing as the density of communication grows and more people recognise universal laws, including the interconnectedness of existence, and natural tend towards a more holonic mindset.
Our Big Picture approach uses a combination of physical and psychological techniques to identify issues, solve problems, create new ideas, all with a common theme of working within the laws of nature, rather than trying to control these universal truths. Because the approach is universal the underlying system applies to individuals, groups, and enterprises. Because they reflect universal laws, they are powerful, efficient and effective.
We can help you see the Big Picture and acquire holonic technology to develop yourself, your family, your enterprise and your community. It is not religion, it is science. And it works.