Fifteen Life Lessons from Sloths: Ancient Knowledge from the Most Relaxed Teachers in Nature

8. The Power of Perspective

Spending most of their time hanging upside down, sloths provide a striking metaphor for seeing life from many angles. This unusual viewpoint reflects a basic way of seeing the world rather than only a physical posture. Many times in our life we find ourselves caught in inflexible habits of thinking and view events from just one perspective. The inverted way of existence of the sloth reminds us of the need of mental adaptability and the need of weighing several points of view. When we deliberately change our viewpoint, apparently insurmount difficulties could show surprising answers.

This course covers our whole perspective rather than just how to solve problems. We can learn to change our perspective and be balanced even if our environment seems upside down, much as sloths are equally as ease right-side up or upside down. Studies in cognitive psychology reveal that good problem-solving and emotional intelligence depend mostly on mental flexibility and the capacity to weigh several points of view. Developing this slowness to see things differently would help us to become more resilient and creative in handling obstacles in daily life.