Perception
Not reality, despite what is claimed.
The notion that ‘perception is reality’ is meant to convey that we can reliably predict that humans will behave as though their perceptions are coherent interpretations of reality. This is a valuable insight indeed. However, it has been taken to the extremes of literal interpretation by some so that they may become shapers of reality. Using this model, whatever we perceive – which we will unavoidably embed with our own bias and interests – literally describes reality, and we expect that others will accept it in turn.
This is also known as a psychotic episode.
The difference is that while psychotic disorders are particularly onerous and difficult to manage pathologies, believing that our perceptions are reality is a form of pathological narcissism experienced by people who find reality too difficult to manage. These people need help, not an audience of embarrassing complicity.
The confusion between perceptions and reality are responsible for giving rise to the idea that people can have their own TRUTH, which they cannot. Professing this is an admission that we do not possess the mental and emotional fortitude to accept reality for what it is, which is certainly sad, but then we add the view that we are able to then substitute objectivity with subjectivity and nothing will be lost in the exchange, which depicts us prideful yet aloof. This is a terrible deal that may benefit us in the short term by leveraging the compassion of others, but the suffering it will cause us and our loved ones in the long run makes it decidedly worth avoiding.
Beyond concerns regarding the validity and characterization of our perceptions, there is also the matter of how our preoccupations shape them.
One of the most overlooked aspects of our perception is their susceptibility to our bias informed by our preoccupations. We are biased creatures through and through, this cannot be changed despite what is claimed by progressive zealots, but it can be understood well enough to inspire a redirect. Two of the most pronounced are our pattern recognition and confirmation biases. Not only do we find connections between our experiences and observations, regardless of whether they are coherent, but we actively seek out confirming that our perceptions of these patterns are reinforced rather than tested.
Recognizing this about ourselves fundamentally alters how we understand ourselves and the world, and it is part of why so many find stoicism and mindfulness useful as tools for introspection. Ignoring it places us squarely on the path towards HUBRIS, because we become blind to the distinguishing aspects of context.
If I am a baseball fanatic, then I will see it where others do not, even when it is illogical, and I will believe it to be apparent that it belongs. I will interpret average and benign objects and interactions as meaningfully connected to baseball with far more frequency than is appropriate – it is always on my mind after all. I will use baseball analogies disproportionately, discuss the minutiae of games and plays, and I may even collect or wear memorabilia.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is probably good to have something around which we organize our lives that provides us with a sense of community and orientation. And these descriptions probably do not apply to every fan. The concern is whether we will begin to believe that these interpretations and perceptions are transferable into reality in a literal sense without consequence. Witnessing symbolic representations and proxies that are concordant with our preoccupations are valuable and useful in human sense-making, but they are not effective substitutions for reality. This is because these things inform us about ourselves and our values, they do not convey reality in a literal sense. Simply put, they are mirrors, not microscopes.
Let us move into more contentious realms. If my preoccupation is race, then I will see its importance in every human interaction. Disparities will be viewed through this lens, dynamics will be explained by race, and outcomes will be measured according to race. Not only would this be one of the most confounding endeavours seeing as race is not a category with clear lines, but it seeks to capture the complexity of humanity in a box of melanin. With respect to my predilections about race, I will seek out ways to confirm them in every examination. I see race everywhere because my mind put it there.
The same rules apply to sex, gender, religion, politics, and any other savoury topic that capitalizes on our meandering attention. If we are preoccupied with any of these, we will inevitably prime our perception to locate it, whether it is there or not. Our bias will fill in the gaps of uncertainty and conclusions will form as perfect images appearing out of thin air.
The human brain will always find a way to relate phenomena to something we value while limiting what we can perceive due to our narrowing field of vision. Preoccupations put important things, real things, in our blind spots. Taken to its logical conclusion, we will specialize in mirages and view critics of our subjective kingdom as enemies at the gate. If we are currently functioning on an instinctual level, trapped within our preoccupations, our response will be directionless and swift, yet justified by our conscience as an act of self-defence. We will be wrong, but we will believe we are right and righteous.
To reiterate, behaving as though our perceptions are real is not the same as them being real. Some remain confused about this, and others understand it intuitively. Regardless, perceiving them as transferable interpretations of reality that reliably produce results will destine us for failure.
We are all susceptible to these pitfalls, but understanding them is necessary for effective recourse. Failing to liberate ourselves from the preoccupations that shape our perceptions is a reliable way to sabotage our fulfillment and succumb to ideology. The best course of action is to diversify our interests, the information we consume, the people we speak with, and the areas we explore. Focus on minor projects or improvements based on real people and their situations, and minimize our obsessions.
Attempt to construct a mind like a mosaic, with numerous perspectives and views adhered with understanding and empathy. The pieces should be of varying shapes, sizes, and colours.
Being addicted to a perspective makes us a one-note joke, a parody of a human being, yet we will wonder why we are so anxious when we strike the same chord repeatedly, hoping for a different sound.
See: MENTAL ILLNESS
Posted: 7 Mar 2023
