#1
“Worldview” is a term coined out of anthropology studies. It’s a shortcut word that describes how a person or a people group views the world. The key thoughts of worldview are that they are personally constructed and describe our beliefs. Because they are personally constructed, your worldview and mine are different. Sure, they can be similar in many respects—which allows for collective worldviews such as “a western” worldview that is different than an “eastern worldview.”
We all want to know how our lives can be safe and secure, how we can be successful and thrive, and how to live a meaningful life. So, from day one, we experience and begin to think about what in the world is going to support me and give me satisfaction, or what in the world is going to be my enemy that I must subdue by knowing the right principles and practices to adopt for myself?
When I was growing up, my mom would give me a warning if she believed I was misbehaving. It was preceded by the question, “Do you want the circles or the funny circles?” That referred to the marks that would be on the back of my hand after she applied the spatula to the back of my hand. We had two spatulas; one with a circle and the other with an oval. That question gave me an option to choose my worldview according to the consequences I was about to receive.
So, as we grow older, we take in information about how the world works from our family, friends, community, teachers, history or mentors. That information includes behaviors and values. Sociologists tell us there are five foundational institutions of society: government, economics, education, family, and religion. Our society is to provide our safety and identify what we have in common. We have experienced different administrations with different perspectives. We hear about the concern for the safety and wellbeing of the citizenry provided by government. Until a few months ago, we experienced safety through economics. Almost every night, we heard a new record was set on Wall Street and our investment reports were up. Then economics in the form of tariffs were empowered to control China and Iran as our protection. And, so quickly, an invisible virus eliminated trillions of dollars of worth and all the job creation from decades and we find vulnerability. And with the shift comes changes in values.
Take some time and identify your worldview. What is providing safety or control to you? Are they simply mirages?
Thanks for reading! I look forward to your feedback.
I have a chapter further describing how worldviews work in my new book, Biblical Storytelling Design.
Look for blog #2 coming next, “What does worldview have to do with how you tell a story?
