One City, Two Stories

How is it that two people living in the same city at the same time could have two completely different perspectives?

As humans, it is so easy for us to fall into the (very bad) habit of categorizing people and their perspectives. It's common to hear "Europeans think this" or "the West/the East thinks that" and so on and so forth, and unfortunately, we tend to leave it at that. We typically forget to consider the role that personal experiences play in shaping one's attitudes and beliefs, and we simply lump them in with the group and the perspectives we feel fit them best.

There was an article published by the BBC this week that explores the memories of two people living in Baghdad during the US invasion of Iraq. Despite the fact that both of the Iraqis interviewed have lived in the city the entire time, they have entirely different perspectives of the war, US troops, and Americans in general. Reading their stories in their own words serves as a clear reminder that each individual, regardless of any similarities we may share, has their own unique story and perspective.