For a person who can’t see out of one eye, most of what you think about are the drawbacks, like not being able to play baseball.
But there are some benefits.
You Most Likely Won’t Get Drafted
If you’re a man living in the United States, you have to register for Selective Service when you turn 18. That means that if America needs to start drafting, they can come after able-bodied adult men.
Here’s the thing: being blind in one eye disqualifies you from armed service. This is a bit of a bummer if your dream was to serve on board an aircraft carrier, but the flip side is that you’re disqualified from armed service. You’re not going to get drafted unless America runs out of fighting men, and even then they’d probably put you in an office.
3D Won’t Faze You
I’m no fan of 3D and I’ve only been in 3D settings a few times, but one upside to monocular vision is that it doesn’t give you the shock value it gives everyone else. That’s a downside, too, but, hey, at least you can pretend you’re just unflappable when everyone else is screaming.
Bonus: since you can’t see in 3D, you can go to the much cheaper non-3D showing of movies and not feel like you’re missing anything.
You Learn to Appreciate Sight (And Everything Else) More
People take a lot for granted in this life, health being a big one. Being blind in one eye reminds you how important seeing is, and how important health is. I wish I could see out of my right eye, but I certainly don’t take my left eye, or the rest of my body, for granted.
It Keeps You Humble
Knowing that every time someone tosses something your way you might drop it has a way of putting you in your place. It’s not always fun, but it does keep me from getting too big a head about myself. I have this limitation that few people actually know about, but it’s there.
You Are More Empathetic Toward Others With Disabilities
What’s interesting about monocular vision is that, although it’s a disability, it doesn’t always feel that way. You may go long stretches without even thinking about your blind eye. As far as disabilities go, it’s not a debilitating one.
At the same time, it’s helped me be more empathetic to people who have disabilities: the deaf, the paralyzed, people with lost limbs. I am a lot more aware of their situation … and a lot more careful to treat them as normally as possible, because that’s how I want to be treated.
And, of course, I’m particularly sensitive toward people who are completely blind. For obvious reasons.
Any other upside you can think of? Share in the comments.