Prior to the Renaissance, art obeyed symbolic relationships where size was determined by the thematic importance of the subject rather than its physical proximity. Therefore, a king would be depicted as larger than a servant, regardless of where they stood in the scene.

The Renaissance introduced a radical new logic where the canvas became a measurable container, governed by geometry. Linear perspective showed that what we perceive is shaped by our vantage point.

This shift required artists to become proficient in geometry. They had to understand how parallel lines converge at a single vanishing point on the horizon and how objects diminish in size systematically as they recede.

This was not merely an artistic technique, but a philosophical statement: it placed the human observer at the center of the visual experience, asserting that the world could be understood through rational principles.

Linear perspective is one of the most transformative ideas in the history of human understanding, as it fosters a disciplined way of seeing. When Renaissance thinkers formalized the method, the result was not merely a technique for drawing buildings; it was a framework that imposed order on visual chaos.

Luca Pacioli, a Franciscan friar and mathematician, provided the methodology. His seminal work, De Divina Proportione, written in the late 15th century, explored the application of geometry to art and architecture.

While Pacioli devised the theory, his most famous collaborator (Leonardo da Vinci) provided the artistry. Leonardo was a supreme empiricist, believing that sight was the highest sense and that painting was a science. Pacioli’s explanations of Euclidean geometry and the golden ratio provided Leonardo with tools to refine his anatomical drawings, architectural plans, and mechanical sketches with unprecedented precision.

When Pacioli wrote his masterpiece, it was Leonardo who illustrated it, drawing complex geometric solids with a precision that showcased his command of perspective.

In The Last Supper, Leonardo applied these principles with rigorous exactitude, organizing the entire painting around a single vanishing point located directly behind the head of Jesus.

The legacy of their work remains a testament to a past when mathematician and artist stood side by side, looking at the same vanishing point.

So, what does this have to do with investing?

First, investing is a mix of math and art so it requires the right perspective.

Perspective is a stabilizing force, preventing you from overreacting to vicissitudes and keeping you grounded during moments of success. In investing, or life, stability matters because both are long games shaped by mindset rather than momentary outcomes.

In life, perspective gives you the ability to step back, observe patterns, and understand that growth often comes from discomfort, mistakes, and the patience to persevere. It helps you navigate uncertainty with calm rather than fear, and to make choices aligned with long-term beliefs instead of temporary emotions.

In investing, perspective serves the same function, but with significant financial consequences. Markets fluctuate, economies turn, and volatility is inevitable; without the right perspective, every dip feels like a catastrophe and every spike feels like proof of genius.

In a broader sense, linear perspective is a also metaphor for intellectual clarity. It trains the mind to distinguish between what is objectively true and what merely seems true from a particular vantage point. To be an effective investor, you must rely on the Renaissance ideal of uniting art and science, theory and practice. This is crucial to select the correct vantage point, so you develop the right perspective. Then it is easy to spot oversized (i.e. inflated) characters.

Often, as in medieval paintings, there is a tendency to supersize leaders and praise them for possessing superhuman visionary skills. Strategy’s (MSTR) strategy compresses a complex, multidimensional financial landscape into one dominant narrative: that Bitcoin is the superior store of value. This admirable conviction can obscure alternative scenarios in which risk, volatility, liquidity, opportunity cost, and economic factors all play essential roles. I’m not saying Saylor is wrong, but that he CAN be wrong. The linear perspective of MSTR that the more bitcoin it buys, the better is actually a circular reference.

The most successful investors aren’t the ones who predict the future daily, but those who distinguish noise from signal. Although compounding works slowly at first, the real edge comes from staying consistent while others panic, or chase the latest fad. Ultimately, the right perspective makes both life and investing less reactive and far more rewarding.