The Problem with Perception

There is more than one problem with perception.

Perceptions are like opinions.? Everyone has one.

My perception is shaped by my experience.? I am the only one living my experience, therefore my perception is unique to me.?

My perception of me is unique to me.? My perception of you is unique to me.

Here is where things get interesting.

My perception is always flawed.

Notice I did not say “wrong”.? My perception is always flawed because it is incomplete.?

Consider one example. I cannot see, touch, taste, smell, or hear everything all the time.? Even if I could, my senses are deceptive.? Seeing is believing.? If I see it, it must be true.? Fine.? Now cross your eyes.? Is that also true?? Think about it long enough and you will come up with examples for all your senses where what you thought was one thing was something else entirely.?

If I cannot have all the information that I need to perceive anything completely, then my perception cannot be anything other than flawed.

Here is where things get more interesting.

My judgement is based on my perception.?

On what else is my judgement based if not on my perception??

Based on my perception, I choose to believe whether something or someone is right or wrong.? Right or wrong becomes good or bad.? Good or bad becomes good or evil.? Whether or not we realize it is happening, all of us are doing this all the time, to ourselves and to each other.

Very few things are absolutely right or absolutely wrong.? The things that are were written in stone once.? Everything else is arbitrary at best and open to interpretation at least.

Here is where things start to hurt a little.

My perception is always flawed.? My judgement is based on my perception.? My judgement is always flawed.

My judgement of me is always flawed.? My judgement of you is always flawed.?

If I cannot judge on anything other than flawed perception, then should I judge at all?

Is it any wonder that we struggle with relationships when we judge each other based on our perception and our perception is always flawed?

Here is where the whole thing really goes sideways.

My perception is always flawed.? My judgement is based on my perception.? My judgement is always flawed.? I judge what is true or false based on flawed perception.

An error believed becomes truth.? An error believed by a few becomes complicated. An error believed by many becomes difficult.? An error believed by too many becomes dangerous.? An error believed by too many for too long becomes deadly.

Look around you.? Look within you.? Is it really all that surprising that the world we live in is so upside down?

Who wins in a world where everyone thinks that they are right?

What if we started with “judge not”?? What if we were willing to give the same level of grace to others that we would like to get from others??

What if we did unto others what we would have others do unto us?

What if…?