How to Close Perception Gaps?

Perception is the way one's eyes see the surroundings and one's mind interpret it.

Perception is one's interpretation of the reality. It is as we see, observe and experience as defined by our mental "band-pass filters.”Perception is one's interpretation of the reality, so it is very subjective and varies from person to person.  When we are “mindful,” we not only see but also perceive; we not only live but also experience; this will have an effect on others and how we interact with the surrounding. But what are the gaps between perception and reality? How to overcome bias caused by prepositioned perceptions, how to close those perception based gaps and make the positive impact on your surrounding?

One’s perception matters because it affects how you are going to respond to “what happened,” and which influence you would make to the surroundings:  What "really" happened is irrelevant. It is only your perception of what happened that is relevant, and therefore how you are going to respond to "what happened." We live in an actual reality that we might never truly experience. In effect, our perception is always flawed - it is not absolutely true, but it is what we believe to be true. So the positive mind often has more positive thinking about the environment, but the out of dated perception is like time glue that keeps you still while the rest of the world moves on which creates another problem-resentment and more negative thinking. Therefore, the conventional wisdom or stereotyping leads to those outdated perceptions which stifle the human progress, even drag the world backward and cause more social problems. As wise said, people are different, not because we look different, but because we think and perceive differently.   

Being stick to who you are - be authentic to close the gap between self-perception and how others’ perception of you: No two person's realities will be totally identical at a given time. Our perception is, in turn, an interpretation based on our conditioning, beliefs, insight, or surroundings, etc, leading us to judge others, all of which may be positive or negative - depending on one's perception. Often when innovators perceive they are in the idea wonderland to keep creativity flow and thrive to become who they want to be; in “reality” or through the others’ perception, they are in fact in the primitive tropical jungle, have to deal with many strange creatures through wield competitions. They have to survive from those distorted perceptions or negative thinking. People’s perception reflects who they are and which lens they apply to make the judgment of others. Even though everyone lives in actual reality, we experience actual reality through the filter of our personal realities, which, again, is ultimately based on individual perception. Therefore, it is important to be authentic - being who you are, don’t be distracted or discouraged by others’ outdated perception; also don’t be restricted by conventional wisdom, be open-minded to perceive others and the ever fast changing digital dynamic.

"Sow positive thoughts=create positive change: An individual’s perception is his/her personal reality, and this reality is transient. One's perception can be altered and influenced by variables and tests introduced to his/her reality, ultimately changing the individual’s reality permanently or temporarily. Your perception affects your world and therefore what you project in the world, which in turn impacts others positively or negatively. Having positive thoughts doesn't necessarily change external world, but it does help you see the good that is already there. When the collective perception is closer to the perception of the most advanced mind (the mastermind), human as the whole can accelerate the progress; if the opposite is true, unfortunately, the society still gets stuck in the outdated perception, far behind the digital era we are stepping in. If you look for the good in things, you will find them and if you look for the bad in things you will find them too. Consistent negativity "is needlessly harmful." Sow negativity/negative thoughts = negative change.

A perceptive mind is subjective but can be open enough to embrace other minds’ perception as well. Having an open mind and learning attitude allows you gaining cognizant of the different perceptions of the world, and having gratitude allows you being more positive and gives you the energy to overcome bias or other perception-based obstacles. It is as important as daily hygiene and needs to be a part of your daily routine. We should all sow the positive thoughts and creativity seeds to bridge perception gaps and make the leap of the digital transformation.

Posted in: GAPs,Mindshift