Window seats are always coveted. On a plane, in an office, for dining areas or reading nooks.
Why do we value this rarified position? Is it perspective? Looking out—whether it’s over a landscape, a skyline, the clouds—offers not just a pleasant view but a reminder of our relationship to our physical context (we are near woods or water, we are a part of a bustling city, we are above the earth); an indicator of our role within that context (we are one with nature, we are authoritatively above others, we are adventurers to new locales); and a marker of the state and progress we are moving through, whether we are covering ground or at rest.
In this way, a window gives us not just a view out, but a view in. Who are we, where are we, where do we want to go.
Where’s your window? What do you see when you look out? If it doesn’t give you the perspective you want, maybe it’s time to change your seat.
