How to Own Our Lives — Why an Open Life View is Important in the 21st Century

“If you perceive the universe as being a universe of abundance, then it will be. If you think of the universe as one of scarcity, then it will be. I always thought there was enough to go around — that there are enough ideas in the universe and enough nourishment.” Graphic designer Milton Glaser

There are two ways we can look at life: open or closed.

In a closed view of life, everything is more or less set. Life is essentially the process of fulfilling our roles based on preset conditions (like the Shakespearean saying: “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely actors…”). Living is little more than navigating pre-existing rules and figuring out how much leeway one has, within dealt limits, to pursue what one wants. A closed life view is comparable to playing a video game: you can choose from a set number of backdrops, you may play one of the limited roles, you will encounter pre-programmed challenges and rewards, but you basically live within the confines of the game. Closed life view affords people a feeling of predictability, but less influence over our fates.

Having an open view of life is like designing a video game: there are structures, trends and patterns you have to adhere to, but it is possible to break the rules, explore new layers, and develop new settings. Living is hence a journey of being aware of the structures, trends and patterns in one’s circumstances, and then building one’s own narrative. Compared to the closed life view, people with an open life view enjoy more agency and control over our life story (see more in Life > Methods > Life Stories).

Open life view derives from a growth mindset (see Self > Principles > Growth Mindset) — the belief that living is full of opportunities, that challenges are exciting, that setbacks are learnings, and that our abilities can be improved with the right strategy and enough effort.

Whether or not we open up our life view determines how we experience and evolve our lives. Think about Alice in Wonderland who goes down the rabbit hole and Neo in Matrix who chooses the red pill — the former gets to escape a boring day and have an adventure, while the latter gets to see the nature of existence and fight for his own destiny. With an open life view — combined with upgrading ourselves and working through challenges — we can transform our lives.

An open life view does not preclude us from having a stable life. We can still keep our old friends, stay in our home town, or follow any life paths that are socially encouraged. What it does is inspire us to be creative with all the possibilities in life. It also gives us adaptability and resilience when unexpected things happen: a pandemic spreads, a recession hits, a climate event takes away our home or loved ones… In the 21st century, when things change at blinding speed and local events often have global impact, it’s especially important for us to keep our minds and lives open.

There is a light and day difference between a mind that’s shackled and a mind that’s free. Just ask anyone living in an autocratic regime (see World > 21st Century Challenges > Authoritarianism). Those of us who are free must treasure the opportunity to have an open life view, as well as the chance to actualize our lives.

Do you have any suggestions, doubts, hypothesis or experience for this topic? Please comment below 👇!

You may find a video version of this article here:

Also chat with us on https://twitter.com/21stcpersonhood.