This describes the powerful, vivid sense astronauts experience when they see Earth from space: the world is vast, and humanity is small. For a long time after returning, they may feel that problems that once seemed enormous are now too minor to worry about. The overview effect is a kind of cognitive bias. The problems themselves haven’t become smaller; rather, they seem that way because of a subjective comparison with the much broader scale the astronauts have seen. But viewed from the other side, this bias can also have benefits. Many of us could use the overview effect for perspective, because people have two weaknesses: they’re prone to arrogance and impatience. Those who achieve success through personal effort are more likely to believe in their own abilities and overlook how circumstances and their environment helped shape their success. Those who face repeated setbacks over a long period are also more likely to be affected by negative emotions, underestimate their abilities, and exaggerate how difficult their problems are.
When we remain for a long time at one scale of observation, an imbalance in our own mindset can lead us to misjudge the situation—this is a form of arrogance. Likewise, inaccurate observations of the situation can throw our own behavior out of balance—this is a form of impatience.
How can we use the overview effect to guard against arrogance and impatience? The overview effect can shift our perspective. The key is the contrast between our scales of perception before and after the shift, and there are only two kinds of scale: space and time. Just broaden the spatial perspective and lengthen the time horizon. When you succeed, try to broaden your perspective. There are many people like me; I’m not uniquely special. Success is shaped by circumstances, and many problems remain unsolved. Using the overview effect to guard against arrogance can keep you from getting carried away. When things aren’t going well, try to take a longer view of your life. A life lasts several decades—what is this difficulty in that context? Looking back, you’ll see that once you got past that hurdle, things were fine. That’s just life. Using the overview effect to guard against impatience can help you avoid resentment and depression. In fact, whether you’re guarding against arrogance or impatience, both involve changing your perspective to return to calm from a state of inflated self-importance and confusion.
When watching documentaries, we can experience the grandeur of nature through migrating bison, imagine the course of civilization through historical artifacts, and witness the cycles of ecosystems in the ocean depths. Afterward, we may feel as though we have stepped into another world. We are no longer confined to our individual selves but begin to think on the scale of species and the Earth's past and present. With that perspective, we may feel calmer when faced with the nagging and scheming of those around us. Occasionally going hiking or visiting the sea can have a similar effect, though it comes quickly and fades just as fast. Another approach is to gain more life experience and develop a lasting improvement in our understanding, even if it takes longer to show results. Becoming more aware of our emotions, honing our abilities, exploring the world outside, and learning about other people's stories can all help broaden and deepen our lives. Life is like an unplanned journey. Only by gaining an overview of its countless mountains and rivers can we develop a broader understanding of the vastness of the world and make room for it all within ourselves. A person's open-mindedness and ability to remain unruffled by either praise or humiliation come from the changes brought about by holding this broader perspective.