The Metaphorical Meanings of Tunnel Vision

When people talk about tunnel vision, one of the very first definitions that springs to their mind is the loss of peripheral vision. It occurs when one loses visual acuity in the peripheral visual fields while retaining visual acuity in the central regions, according to Medicine Net. However, that is not the only definition. Keeping curiosity in mind, there are crucial aspects that must be understood in order to truly comprehend the precise explanations behind the different definitions of tunnel vision.

1) College Life

First, there’s the definition of tunnel vision in respect to college life. Students might hear this terminology a thousand times before they attend college or university. College life is about excelling at your academic level as well as experiencing new things socially. Indeed, many students are mastering their academics, but they seem to forget the second part of the term: experience. There are various types of clubs for students to join. Students can join the media club as a video or content maker or a manager for the school’s social media. They could also join the singing club where they can show their talents and release stress after a hard-working day. Joining clubs means that students have to communicate and express their opinions to create the best project or to understand each other. The good thing is that they can make friends easily in those clubs. Indeed, college or university is not only the place to learn knowledge related to students’ majors, but also to have a better understanding of their lives and about the world.

Besides studying, college students are encouraged to have jobs on campus. Having jobs on campus has so many merits. Students can gain more working experience in different fields. For instance, college students can work in the library, cafeteria, or in the classroom as a teacher assistant. By having those jobs on campus, students will learn how to perform unique tasks, and they will improve their communication skills. Dr. Gret Tindall, who works in the International Office at Greenville University, said that “besides enriching working experience, students will get involved in their campus – they will see more people, feel better on going out and making friends.”

2) Relationship

The relationship through the lens of tunnel vision refers to a pretty intriguing keyword, a “crush”. People can have a crush on someone easier than finding their true love. Small coincidental actions, such as winking or opening the door at the same time, might win somebody’s heart. While true love is the combination of intimacy, passion, and commitment, a crush is different. It is a feeling of love and admiration for someone. Again, having a crush on someone is the same as when you have a million butterflies flying in your stomach when your so-called “special” person is around. People can find a crush easily by basing on their criteria. Some people prefer having a Korean-style crush, who has a white baby face with light wavy hazel hair. Others, on the other hand, want to have a masculine Latino crush that is tan and has “tableta del chocolate” (or 6-packs). Thus, people tend to follow those that acquire their visual attraction criterion. For them, their crushes are the perfect missing pieces for their life, but nothing is perfect. Once people have found their crushes, they immerse their love life with the image of their crushes, and eventually, they can even forget that there is true love out there waiting for them. Chasing someone who does not even notice you is one of the worst things ever. Besides, people possibly miss their real love if they keep drawing their attention to their dreamy crush.

3) Religion

Once people get out of the tunnel vision of religions, they will realize how iridescent the world is. There are hundreds of definitions of faith out there. Each religion has its own definition of it. For example, Christians believe God created the earth and heaven by creating a space between the water above and the water below. The tunnel vision does not require people to stop believing in what they believe; it is about being open to learning more about the world. For example, Christians can understand that besides God, there are so many other gods or goddesses that can be considered creating the heaven and the earth. However, according to the Mother Goddess theory, there are four Goddesses creating the world. In Vietnam, people believe the world was created by these four main Goddesses: Mother of Heaven, Mother of Earth, Mother of Upland Forest, and Mother of Water. Whenever people have a chance to visit temples in the north of Vietnam, they might be stunned by how Mother Goddesses live in Vietnamese people’s minds. A Christian student studying at Greenville University, Mary Ashlyn, stated: “I do think students should learn more about other religions. Our goal is to reach out to people where they are, and they are in all different places.” Ashlyn also said that people all worship something in life, whether it is themselves, another person, or something they believe in. “I believe that God is the one true god, but I want to be able to understand the things that other people worship so that I can show them the differences, the ways that serving God in my life can fulfill me in a way I don’t think anything else can,” she added.

In summary, tunnel vision is such a new cool terminology that people should add in their dictionaries and apply it to life. Once they get out of the tunnel, they will be overwhelmed by what the world brings to them. Diminishing tunnel vision will open up brand new experiences in school, relationships, and even different religions.