Perception and Reality

Update: Enjoy Audio Version of Perception and Reality

Here is an audio version of this article on Perception and Reality, narrated by the author, Tanvee Maheshwari. Enjoy reading, or listening, or start listening, while you scroll down and read simultaneously!

What is perception in Simple Words?

Perception, put simply, is our own idiosyncratic version of how we feel and see things around us. It is defined by what we choose to believe in, what we think about, and how we judge. It is a rather complex thing. It hinders our ability to observe something in an objective way.

A person’s perception and opinion depend on their past experiences and current circumstances. It is also influenced by their unique taste, their aspirations, and at the very core, who they are as a person. Let us illustrate with the help of a simple example.

Perception – An Example

Let us say, Tina, Sarah and Niki are friends with each other. Sarah first interacted with Tina when she needed some help from her. Sarah had approached Tina on a busy Monday morning. However, Tina was preoccupied with work. She was brief and curt. Sarah now perceives Tina as unhelpful and rude.

However, when Niki first met Tina, the setting was different. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and Tina was relaxed and warm. She found Tina going the extra mile to help out with her request. Niki now perceives Tina as a very kind and helpful person.

Niki formed a very different opinion about Tina as compared to Sarah. We can therefore conclude that all emotions we feel towards a person – hatred, love, enthusiasm, etc. – are based upon what we think of them. Moreover, what we think of a person is variable, and dependent upon many factors.

What is my perception in life?

You may be wondering – What is my perception in life? Let us explore the idea further, with a simple example of a jug half filled with water. Here are some of the ways in which one can perceive the jug:

1. There is enough water, since at least half a jug of water is available. We will manage with whatever is available.
2. There is insufficiency of water, since the jug is only half filled. We have shortage of water.
3. There is abundant water. If I were to pour it into small glasses, they will fill up completely.
4. There is no water, since the half-filled jug will not fill in my big glasses. There is no water!

Our Perceptions Shape Us

A person’s perception can tell a lot about how the person thinks, why they believe in what they do, what happiness means to them, what their goals are and their overall outlook towards life. In fact, it is the way people perceive that shapes their personality and future.

Each one of us has different perspectives and hence we form different opinions with different reasoning. We see and understand things in our own unique way. This urges us to explore various ideas and hence, leads to innovation. In turn, opinions, which are formed by our perceptions, are the platform for ideas, debates and creativity.

However, in certain situations where everyone has a different outlook about the same thing, it becomes hard to get a grip of reality. This may lead to conflicts, which can only be resolved through reaching a mutual understanding, and with an objective, unbiased view.

Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.

Edward de Bono

Perception and Judgement

Perception also has a great role to play when it comes to judgement. Although it is said that we must not judge a person, judgement is inevitable. It is a primitive process where our brain evaluates a situation, object or person to see whether it poses a threat or not. When we judge something, we perceive it as either good or bad, harmful or not, and become opinionated about it. Although this is unjustified, we must evaluate things and figure out (within reason) if they are good for us or not. We must also keep in mind, that our perception about someone or something, is not always consistent with the reality.

Our minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they’re all a projection of you.

Deepak Chopra

Perception and Reality

In conclusion, personal perception is something subjective that every human does possess. It is inherent to our personalities, our development and our own individual authenticity.

While our perception creates a platform for innovation and fuels evolution, it may also lead to conflicts due to differences in opinion.

What Next

Understand and appreciate that perception is an idiosyncratic version of how people give meaning to things around them depending on several causative factors. It hinders people’s ability to observe something in an objective way. This sometimes leads them to behave irrationally and be unreasonable. Maybe the same can be said about us. Hence, there is no point in skirting the issue or blaming people for not perceiving things our way. We must come to terms with the fact that the same reality will be perceived differently by people around us.

Also at a personal level, we can use this knowledge to enhance our own sense of satisfaction by perceiving the world with a positive mindset. Here is some food for thought:

The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.

John C. Maxwell

Editor’s Note:

What is the impact of perception on our relationships? Read The PIE Effect of Relationships by Dr. Parul Kohli which explores the impact of Perception, Illusion and Expectation on relationships.

You may also want to read about how ‘Uncertainty Should Ignite Creativity and Not Complacency‘ and about how “we can use ‘Affirmations‘ to boost self-esteem, build up confidence, and create a more fulfilling and rapturous life for our self, day by day” by the same author Tanvee Maheshwari.

About Tanvee Maheshwari

As a create-a-preneur, Tanvee Maheshwari is passionate about creating and sharing knowledge that helps people align with their innate potential.

She enjoys learning and honing her skills across diverse domains, including Psychology, Public Speaking and Entrepreneurship. She is also a budding Voice Over Artist and Content Creator.

More from Tanvee Maheshwari:

Related Reads:

Books – By Quoted Authors:

Videos From Psychology in 60 Seconds

Uncover biases and other concepts from psychology in 60 seconds, in this series by Tanvee Maheshwari. Subscribe to the YouTube channel of From The Experts Mouth for more

Note: This article includes affiliate links, on which we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.