Worms Eye View

A worm’s-eye view, also known as a frog’s-eye view is a description of the view of a scene from below that a worm might have if it could see. It is the perspective inverse of a bird’s-eye view.[1]

In corporate, we’re often asked to answer questions and present information on a “high level”. A high level can simplify and trivialize important issues while leaving no room for nuanced understandings. The end game of corporate ladder climbing is usually reaching the top and having the Birds Eye perspective over everyone else. Eagles are apex predators after all. This temptation to high grade perspectives is not just limited to work either. News outlets present information in a top-down way. 

We’re living in a world where perspectives and nuance make a significant difference in the whole story being told. What’s not solicited enough is the perspective of the late worm. The worm views the world from the ground up. This perspective is important as the slightest change in angle can completely distort the view.

Earthworms do not have eyes, ears, or noses, but they are not completely blind to their surroundings. Instead, they use specialized light-sensitive cells, called photoreceptors, located on their skin to detect light and dark, allowing them to navigate and avoid light. These creatures are sensitive to vibrations and rely on these skin sensors to feel their way through soil. 

There is something to be said about being a worm. It’s not easy to live in the dirt. To quote Bane from The Dark Knight Rises: “Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!”

My point here is that all perspectives matter. And it’s most important to use your location and abilities to your advantage. Having the long-range precision and accuracy of an eagle is useless if you’re on the ground and unable to fly. Conversely, if you’re a blind earthworm, there is nothing you can see or sense from the top of the ivory tower if you cannot touch grass.

Let’s get together and share some perspectives.