Perceptions and Perspectives
Our Unique Point of View
We all have a lens or filter through which we see, experience, and interpret (make sense of and and give meaning to) the world around us. Our lens or filter comes from our upbringing. Experiences in our early years make the greatest imprint or impact, though we can continue to learn and adjust our interpretations throughout our entire lives (if we remain flexible). Our beliefs and expectations also come from the media, our schooling, our peers, and our life experiences.
No two people, as alike as they may be, have identical points of view or see exactly the same things when looking at something. In that way we are as varied as snowflakes or flowers.
Having this filter is crucial for our survival. At any one time there is always more occurring in our environment than we can take in. Therefore we filter and take in only what we think is relevant. This happens unconsciously. We often become aware of our own unique perspective in the presence of a contract.
Perception is selective:
- We don’t see things which do exist
- We add things which do not exist
- We place different meaning on the same situation or events
Therefore 100% accurate, pure communication is not possible, but with active listening, restating and summarizing (feeding back what we think we have heard and understood) we can confirm or clarify our understanding.