There is a saying that goes, "My perspective is my reality." What does this mean? Your perspective is the way you see something. It is also known as a point of view. Perspectives can be negative or positive. For example, someone with a fear of spiders might have a negative perspective of insects, while someone who has had pet bugs all their life might have a positive perspective of them. Usually, someone's perspective has a lot to do with his or her own experiences. It also has a lot to do with how they see the world. A change in perspective can completely reshape one's reality!
Being abroad can definitely offer a huge change in perspective. When you are in a new country, you are likely to be surrounded by people who see the world a lot differently than you do. Recognizing these differences in perspective can help you really start to understand other people, as well as the world around you. One of the best parts of being abroad is that not only do I get to learn about other people's perspectives, but I get to teach them a little bit about my own, too!
One of the main differences I have noticed between German and American perspectives is in our world views (called Weltanschauung in German). Germans, like most Europeans, are very globally-minded.
