Framing: Difference between revisions

[[File:Framing.jpg|alt=Political framing|thumb|'''''Figure 4.''''' Same truth different frame.]]

Framing reveals that there is no singular, [[The Objectivity Assumption|fixed interpretation of reality]]—only perspectives shaped by context, identity, language, and prior experience (see '''Figure 4'''). What one person sees as truth may be a distortion or abstraction through another's lens. These differing “truths” are not necessarily in conflict; they are parallel expressions of a deeper, multifaceted reality. Just as a story changes depending on who tells it, the world itself can look entirely different depending on how it is framed. Recognizing that there are ''multiple valid interpretations'' of the same event or experience is essential to transcending binary thinking and cultivating a more nuanced, inclusive worldview.

[[Pivotal Mental States]] can often act as powerful tools for metacognitive expansion—the ability to think about one’s own thinking. Under their influence, the rigid scaffolding of fixed frames can temporarily dissolve, allowing individuals to step outside their default frames of reference. In this expanded state, people frequently report heightened awareness of the subjectivity of their beliefs, emotions, and perceptions. They begin to see that their personal truth is one among many, and that multiple, even contradictory, perspectives can coexist without invalidating one another. This experience can cultivate a lasting openness—a humility of mind—that helps people embrace complexity, contradiction, and the deep plurality of human experience.