Reader question:
What does the phrase "put things into perspective" mean?
My comments:
That means to put things into context, to look at them not individually but in relationship to each other. Generally, things in contrast keep things in perspective. In other words, in order to form a correct opinion of things, always bear in the big picture.
Or relatively correct because a sense of relativity is crucial here.
In picture drawing, perspective is a method that makes objects in a picture look solid (three-dimensional) and shows distance (things closer looks bigger while those farther away in the background look smaller) and depths. Traditional Chinese portraits, however, do not have perspective. Persons in traditional Chinese paintings look flat and thus less lively than those in, for instance, Western oils. Western oils, with a clever use of colors, also portray light and shade (darkness), thus lending to a painting a great sense of liveliness that's often elusive in traditional Chinese paintings.
Western oils, therefore, are drawn with perspective or with an effect of perspective. You got the picture.
Figuratively, when things are said to be kept in perspective, they are treated not separately but are viewed in relationship to their background, their surroundings and their environments. In fact, things are what they are only due to different perspectives, relative to what's different, thanks to contrast against other things. There would not be light, for instance, if there weren't darkness. We wouldn't understand the concept of "day" unless we also understood "night". Hot depends on cold; big and small live off each other; high implies low and vice versa; bitter pills make candies so much sweeter and love readily morphs into hate – that's why it bemused Alan Watts considerably to once observe that till-death-do-us-part vows at weddings "often leads to murder".
Joking aside, if you talk about "black" with "white" in mind, pursue success knowing you might fail, begin to enjoy your friends before you lose them, you're able to keep things in perspective, or "in a correct perspective" but the adjective (correct) is really redundant, as is the adverb (really).
Anyways, here are a few examples to help you put that phrase, and hopefully everything else, into perspective.
1. Wall St flat as investors digest Friday rate cut (Reuters, August 20, 2007):
Fresh news from the beleaguered mortgage market continued to unnerve investors. Thornburg Mortgage's shares fell 9.6 percent to $13.59 after chief operating officer Larry Goldstone said there was a crisis in investor confidence in the mortgage sector.
"The market is taking some baby steps, trying to build on Friday's rally. We're digesting the Fed's move last week and putting things into perspective," said Richard Sparks, senior equities analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research in Cincinnati.
"But I don't think we've gotten the 'all clear'; the market still knows there are some hurdles to overcome."
2. Realizing China's Potential (Speech at the 2003 Asian Investment Conference by Yukon Huang, Director, World Bank China Program; www.worldbank.org.cn):
But what does 6 or 7 per cent growth mean over the next two decades? Let's put it in perspective. In terms of purchasing power measurement of GDP in China today, it would be about US$3,000 per capita. In nominal dollars it's more like US$800, but if you take US$3,000 per capita as a purchasing power concept, China 20 years from now, even at 6 or 7 per cent growth rates would be the second largest economy in the world – second only to the US.
3. Constructive criticism puts book reviewing in perspective (Boston Globe, October 27, 2007):
Book reviewers have been upsetting and pleasing – but mostly upsetting – authors, publishers, and academics for hundreds of years. In her critique of the book-reviewing craft, "Faint Praise," Cambridge writer Gail Pool enters the debate as the reviewing culture in newspapers, magazines, and online sites is undergoing a gigantic and mostly unhealthy transformation.
国内英语资讯:UIUC visiting Chinese Scholar feared dead as suspect arrested
国内英语资讯:China solicits public opinions on draft national anthem law
国内英语资讯:China adopts intelligence law
巴黎为申奥把整个市中心变运动场 塞纳河上建跑道
国际英语资讯:2 civilians, 2 militants killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight
国际英语资讯:Political, diplomatic efforts needed to settle crisis with Qatar: Putin
国际英语资讯:World leaders honor former German Chancellor Kohl in Strasbourg
国内英语资讯:Summer Davos forum closes, highlights inclusive growth
清凉一夏!魔性“西瓜裙”风靡社交网络
国内英语资讯:Spotlight: Xis visits to Russia, Germany to boost global economic cooperation
女性单独度假有顾虑?网站推女性专属租房软件
《超脑48小时》电影精讲(视频)
Quite Good不一定是夸你好!5个
老外在中国:东京人都知道北京自行车多
光是款一眼手机,就能让你脑力下降
国内英语资讯:Chinas summer railway transport peak period begins
体坛英语资讯:Feyenoord cash in on Karsdorp move to AS Roma
性格内向的人该如何爱自己
国内英语资讯:Vice Premier urges globalization of traditional Chinese medicine
中国没有好资讯,经济为何迅猛?
《阿凡达2》将采用裸眼3D技术 不戴3D眼镜可看
国内英语资讯:Xi calls on HK youths to serve HK, country
受不了了!熊猫宝宝撒娇发脾气被妈妈推下斜坡(视频)
国内英语资讯:Xinhua Insight: After almost a century, the CPC story remains one of success
国际英语资讯:Japans ruling LDP suffers historical defeat in Tokyo assembly election
国际英语资讯:DPRK calls on Seoul to resist U.S. attempt to prevent inter-Korean relations from improving
拖延症的5大借口,以及应对方法
习近平在庆祝香港回归祖国20周年大会暨香港特别行政区第五届政府就职典礼上的讲话
好暖心!英国患癌女童“嫁给”好友 办童话婚礼
国际英语资讯:Clash between police, armed gang leaves 19 dead in northern Mexico
不限 |