The Farmer, the Bride, and the Rain
Imagine a simple scene: it’s raining. A farmer, relying on rain for his crops, looks up and declares, “This rain is good.” A bride, on her wedding day, under the same sky, sighs in frustration and says, “This rain is bad.” Here, neither the farmer nor the bride is really describing the rain itself. Instead, they are revealing their relative positions to the rain, their personal perspectives. The rain doesn’t possess inherent goodness or badness—these qualities are projections of where each person stands in relation to it.
This is the essence of “Square It, Then Rotate Around It” (SITRAI). When we declare something good or bad, we are actually just revealing our coordinate position relative to that thing. Understanding this allows us to take on multiple perspectives, empathizing with others and recognizing how much information is hidden or revealed at any given point.
Squaring It: Moving from Simple to Complex
The first step in SITRAI is to “square” your perspective. Think of this as the process of moving from a one-dimensional line to a two-dimensional plane. In a one-dimensional view, you see only the edge of the issue—yes or no, good or bad. The farmer sees only the rain’s benefit to his crops, and the bride sees only its disruption to her wedding.
But when we square the perspective, we shift to a two-dimensional view. Now, instead of just seeing whether it is raining or not, we see a broader picture, like looking at a weather map. This map includes additional details such as high and low pressure systems, cloud formations, and other atmospheric data that offer more context. By squaring it, we recognize that there is far more to the situation than the simple good/bad judgment we initially made.
This two-dimensional view is where more complex information is revealed. Just as a piece of paper shows more than a single line on its edge, squaring your perspective shows you the broader context, allowing for a fuller understanding of the situation.
Rotating Around It: Exploring Different Angles
Once we have squared the perspective, the next step is to “rotate around it.” This means taking on different perspectives by rotating around the two-dimensional plane and viewing the issue from various angles. In SITRAI, angles are used to represent different viewpoints. At 0 degrees, you see only the edge, the simplest view, much like the initial good/bad judgment. As you rotate to 90 degrees, more information is revealed—this is where the full picture is visible, as if you’re looking directly down at the plane of information.
At 180 degrees, you are back to seeing only the edge, but now from the opposite side, perhaps representing the bride’s perspective of the rain being bad. The further you rotate, the more you reveal or hide. At 270 degrees, for example, you’re seeing the same information as at 90 degrees, but in a mirrored or reversed way, suggesting an alternate but equally valid interpretation of the facts.
This rotation around the squared perspective represents our ability to shift between viewpoints. By rotating around the issue, you can take on both the farmer’s and the bride’s perspectives and understand why they see the rain the way they do. The point here is not to decide which perspective is “correct” but to recognize that both are simply different angles on the same issue.
Revealing Hidden Information: Degrees of Perspective
One of the key lessons in SITRAI is recognizing how much of the picture is hidden or revealed at any given angle. At 0 degrees, for example, when you’re just seeing the edge of the situation, much of the information is obscured. The farmer, from his 0-degree angle, sees only the rain’s immediate benefit to his crops, unaware of how the rain might be affecting the bride.
At 90 degrees, more information is revealed, representing a more comprehensive understanding of the situation. From this vantage point, you can see both the bride’s frustration and the farmer’s joy, along with all the surrounding details that inform their positions. The further you rotate from this ideal 90-degree angle, the more information becomes hidden again. At 180 degrees, for example, the bride sees only the rain’s inconvenience and none of its broader benefits.
Students should be able to easily move between these angles, recognizing how much or how little information is visible from each position. The goal is to understand that good or bad is not an inherent quality of the rain—or of anything else—but simply a reflection of how much information is revealed to you at your specific angle.
Conclusion: Empathy and Perspective Through SITRAI
The SITRAI method—”Square It, Then Rotate Around It”—offers a powerful framework for understanding the relativity of goodness. When the farmer says the rain is good, he is revealing his coordinate position, just as the bride reveals hers when she calls it bad. Their judgments aren’t about the rain but about their own perspectives.
As students of this method, you should be able to empathize with both positions, recognizing how much or how little information is revealed from any given angle. This exercise encourages flexibility of thought, allowing you to rotate easily around an issue and view it from different coordinates. The more angles you explore, the clearer the overall picture becomes, helping you navigate the complex nature of perception and judgment with greater understanding.