Relativity: A Shift in Perspective

Relativity is the concept that our perceptions, judgments and beliefs are not absolute but are shaped by our unique vantage-points and frames of reference. As the blog on Farnam Street reminds us, this model highlights that our experiences are subjective and our interpretations of events are filtered through our personal context.

Each one of us lives inside a particular web of experiences: our upbringing, our culture, our education, our social network - and all of these shape how we see the world, what we notice or overlook, and what we value or dismiss. Two people can witness the exact same event and yet draw very different conclusions, because each person views it through a different frame of reference.

For example, imagine two individuals standing in the same room: both are exposed to the same physical temperature, yet one might feel cold while the other feels warm - even though the thermometer reads the identical number. The reading is objective; the felt experience is different because of prior state, expectations, and bodily context.

In the same way, when we engage in public discourse - say a policy debate - what seems obvious and sensible to someone in an urban progressive environment may feel completely absurd to someone from a rural conservative background. And vice versa. Recognising relativity means recognising that one’s own point of view is not the only valid one - it is just one frame among many.

Example 1 - Galileo’s Ship

Galileo’s ship thought experiment illustrates how motion and observation depend on vantage point. He imagined a ship gliding smoothly over calm seas and considered an observer inside the cabin. If the ship moves uniformly, all the things inside - the air, the ship, objects - move together. The observer cannot distinguish whether the ship is stationary or in constant motion because experiments inside (drops of water, floating objects etc.) behave the same either way. What this shows: even in classical mechanics, our measurement and experiences depend on our frame of reference. Our “here and now” context shapes how things appear.

Example 2 - Einstein’s Train & Lightning Strikes

Einstein’s famous thought experiment asks: Two lightning bolts strike the ends of a moving train simultaneously (as judged by an observer on the embankment). To that platform observer, the strikes happened at the same time because the light from both ends reaches him simultaneously. But from the vantage of someone riding in the middle of the train, things look different: the train is moving toward the flash from one end and away from the other, so the light from one strike reaches the train-rider sooner. Thus the train-rider concludes the strikes were not simultaneous. The key insight: simultaneity - the idea that two events happened at the same time - depends on your frame of reference. In other words: what seems like an absolute truth in one frame (two events happening simultaneously) becomes relative in another.

Why This Model Matters

Understanding relativity calls us into action. It means we should examine our assumptions, actively seek diverse perspectives, and strive to broaden our frames of reference. Because we all have blind spots - things we cannot see from inside our own frame. By acknowledging the relative nature of our perceptions we open ourselves to richer, more accurate understandings.

As the book The Great Mental Models Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry & Biology by Shane Parrish explains, building a “latticework” of mental models drawn from the hard sciences helps us upgrade our thinking. Relativity is one of those models. It gives us the mental tool to say: “I see from here, but what would it look like from there?” It encourages humility, curiosity, and the willingness to adjust our views in light of new frames.

So the next time you’re certain you’re right, pause and ask: What am I not seeing because of where I stand? Whose vantage point is being ignored? How might this event appear from a different frame? Relativity doesn’t mean giving up judgment - it means making better judgments by being aware of the frame through which you judge.

References: Based on the article “Relativity” on the Farnam Street blog and insights from Shane Parrish’s mental-models series.