Neil DeGrasse Tyson's idea of Cosmic Perception in a nutshell explains that contemplating the universe should not make thinkers feel small and insignificant, but rather large and enlightened. He argues that we are "large" enough to be able to grasp the concept of the universe and deeply ponder our purpose, and this is an accomplishment. "The cosmic perspective enables us to see beyond our circumstances, allowing us to transcend the primal search for food, shelter, and sex." (Tyson, 8). It is important to consider these ideas in everyday life in order to see the larger picture of why we exist. This is the kind of thinking that lifts the boundaries between deeply rooted issues such as racism and sexism. Taking a step back and considering our accomplishments and what we can further strive toward can without a doubt make you look at the people around you and feel a deep sense of appreciation for one another. This kind of thinking can also alleviate stress or even sadness in the sense that taking a step outside of your own personal issues and thinking bigger can make trivial issues seem like nonsense. Tyson says "The cosmic perspective reminds us that in space, there is no air, a flag will not wave - an indication that perhaps flag waving and space exploration do not mix," (Tyson, 8). This statements pokes at the sense of ownership that humans feel over accomplishing something before others. When reading that line, I imagined kids screaming "ME ME ME" over each other trying to get the teacher to pick on them to answer the math problem in class. These children don't have the concept of learning and growing together, and rather feel they should compete in a battle of ego's over who may be smarter, or who thinks faster. Everyone wants to win. Cosmic Perspective neglects this idea and says lets empower each other and grow as a community of scholars. This may be a dramatic example, but in essence this is what Tyson was trying to convey in his essay, and I agree that the Cosmic Perspective could be beneficial to anyone willing to think.