Perception

Perception: 1 a: a result of perceiving b: a mental image 2 obsolete 3 a: awareness of the elements of environment through physical sensation b: physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience 4 a: quick, acute, and intuitive cognition

Perception can probably be summed up as the angle or position in which we view something. On the most mundane levels, that would be to say the person who is looking down on a large redwood tree from a helicopter flying overhead will not see the same thing as the person who is standing on the ground looking up at the tree. The person from the helicopter will see all the leaves and top branches, but not really be able to tell you as much about the main trunk of the tree, or where all of the branches began to divide off of the trunk. The person on the ground will be able to tell you the exact texture of the tree bark and where the division of the branches started, but couldn't say how the top branches appear and just how tall the tree is in relation to everything else around it.

On a more personal level, perception is probably the biggest communication gap we suffer from in relation to our fellow human beings. It's amazing how two people can look at the same situation and take such opposing views on it. And that is considering if the two people have the same exact information. Think about how much trickier it gets when one person sees one aspect of a situation, and the other person has another aspect. Here's an example:

Person A sees a man in a blue coat attack another man in a red jacket on the street. He immediately runs from the situation to get help for the man in the red jacket. Person B saunters down the same block just in time to see the man in blue coat laying on the ground and the man in the red jacket pull out a knife and stab him. Now Person B takes off to get the authorities to apprehend the man in the red jacket for killing what seemed to be a helpless victim who was lying disabled on the ground.

The problem is this: whatever it is that we have seen, heard or come in contact with becomes the crux of our perceptions - even if the information we have gathered was incomplete. Now in this case, since Person A and Person B will communicate what they saw to the local authorities, the story will be completed between the two reports, more or less. But what about circumstances that aren't so cut and dried, where the entire story cannot be completed? Or the cases where we have no idea there is more to the situation than what we perceive?

This is where it is often said that all we perceive is merely illusion. Being individuals, we have only our experiences, our insights, our sources of information and perspectives to determine the way we see things. If we keep in mind that what we see may well not be all that is occurring, may well not even begin to represent the whole of a perceived circumstance, we are more inclined to seek out further information before making judgment.

Ironically enough, when you learn to control your perceptions, you end up controlling a lot more about yourself. Our tendencies to see ourselves as pawns in life, or at the whims of fate, is merely that - what we are seeing. Grant yourself a different perspective, and you may well be amazed at the turns your life will take. It all depends on the lens you are gazing from. This also goes for the people you will find yourself interacting with as well.

This reminds me of an interesting story I had once heard about how a situation can appear one way, but actually be something entirely different once more details were exposed. The story went like this:

A father came onto a crowded bus in Southern California with three kids and chose a seat towards the back. He sat down and stared forward, looking rather disassociated with the world around him. His three children were being particularly rambunctious. They ran up and down the middle aisle, yelling and laughing, much to the complete annoyance of the rest of the occupants. One man sitting near the father looked at the situation and turned to the father to see if he was going to do anything about it. However, the father kept staring forward and didn't seem to be paying any attention to what was happening. He was completely oblivious.

The children were getting louder and louder, and everyone else was starting to get very angry, including the man sitting near the father. He seriously contemplated making a rude comment to him about being inconsiderate and not reining in his kids when they obviously were being a nuisance. Instead, he took a deep breath, calmed himself and approached the father with some composure. He tried to get the father's attention with the words, "Excuse me," but he didn't seem to hear him. So he repeated himself a little louder and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. The man snapped out of his dazed state with a start and looked at the man with mild confusion.

"Excuse me, sir," the man said, "but your children are getting out of hand. Don't you think you should say something to them? Maybe get them to sit down and be quiet? They are really bothering the other passengers."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the father replied, in a somewhat monotone and distant voice. "You see, we just left the hospital where their mother died, and I guess they aren't really sure how to deal with it. I'm not really sure how to deal with it either."

Notice how the perception changes once further information was gathered. Being able to consider all factors, including those which are not immediately visible, is the key to objectivity. In many cases, our greatest inability to be objective lies in our perceptions of ourselves. There are many people who can remain objective about anything that takes place around them, almost to the point of being able to reserve any judgment. However, this is rarely the case when one has to look at themself.

Take this into consideration: how many people do you know that are incredibly difficult on themselves? How outlandish are their personal expectations? How unforgiving are they of their own mistakes? On the other hand, how many people do you know that are insanely judgmental of others, yet refuse to acknowledge their own shortcomings? How often do they complain about qualities in someone that they possess themselves? How blind are they to what they say and do, but are only too quick to condemn the words and actions of another?

And here is the final question to consider: WHICH OF THE TWO EXAMPLES ABOVE DESCRIBE YOU?