What should we look at this year? At ourselves? At others? At our smartphones all the time? Or should we look in a book? Or look ahead into the future? There are certainly enough opinions and advice on the matter to go round.
One popular meme at the end of the year was a cartoon of two men sitting on opposite sides of a bus heading down a mountain road. One of them is staring out the window at the rock face and looking wretched – presumably because all he sees is a grey wall. On the other side of the bus, the other guy is gazing out the window at a picturesque landscape and smiling blissfully.This cartoon, which dates from 2014, is by the Brazilian illustrator Genildo Ronchi, who added the caption: “As vezes só depende de nós”, meaning “Sometimes it just depends on us.” Leave out the “sometimes” and the resulting message is: Which direction we look and whether we’re happy as a result is entirely up to us.
“Two dudes on a bus“
| Illustration: © Susi Bumms
So which way should we look to maximize happiness?Into the valley, not at the rock face.
Most importantly, and everyone agrees on this point, don’t spend too much time looking at your phone. You’re better off reading printed material, ideally a book. Then again, do look up from the book now and then!
„Happy with and without a phone"
| Illustration: © Susi Bumms
Don't look back into the past, it’s best to keep looking forward. But do bear in mind where you’re from – and of course where you want to go.Don't look around you too much, focus on yourself instead.
Though you must look at others, too. After all, you are where the people around you intersect. We should all spend more time looking at one another anyway!
"Rather unhappy with and without phone"
| Illustration: © Susi Bumms
The main thing is to maintain eye contact when looking at someone.Is there actually any point in staring into space?
Let your gaze wander a little from time to time. But don't lose sight of the really important things in life!
Do you know eye yoga?
Or the children's game in which you're not allowed to look into the hole between your thumb and index finger? So you shouldn't peer in there, that's for sure.
So which view should you pick? Personally, I can't offer any more advice on that score. But thanks for having a look at these pictures and the text all the way to the end. I hope it proved worth your while!
“Hans is looking everywhere“
| Illustration: © Susi Bumms
“Frankly“
On an alternating basis each week, our “Frankly ...” column series is written by Susi Bumms, Maximilian Buddenbohm, Sineb el Masrar and Margarita Tsomou. In the “Frankly…visual” column, Susi Bumms observes pop culture and politics, commenting on what she sees through cartoons and pictures.
January 2022