Reality Gap

Reality Gap

Copyright 2021 Don Ray.  Feel free to print and share.

Human perception has little to do with reality.  People will see what they expect to see.  The most powerful influence over people is not in presenting them facts and information, but shaping how they will interpret facts and information.

As an adult the abused child will see threats and react accordingly.  The insecure person will perceive disapproval.  The religious person will see God's will in events and see people of different opinion as opposing God’s will.

"The eye is the lamp of the body" sums up this human trait to see as we expect to see.

The power of media magnates is not in convincing people by presenting distorted information and falsehoods.  Their power is in making people willing to accept the distortions and falsehoods.

We can see and hear with suspicion, with insecurity, with anticipation of threat.  Or we can see and hear with hope of seeing beauty, truth, and experiencing acceptance.

Speak truth.  Do compassion.  But resign yourself to the fact it will all be interpreted and misinterpreted through each individual's lens of experience.

Ask how your own lens distorts your view.  Ask how you will influence the experience that will shape the other person's perspective.  Ask, and know your answer will likewise be colored and distorted, leaving us to wonder at the veracity of our world, leaving us to anticipate conflict with that other person's distorted and deluded world, leaving us with only forbearance, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness as our tools to soften the sharp edges of the inevitable conflict.  

Copyright 2021 Don Ray.  Feel free to print and share.