NICK WRIGHT
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Window of insight

29/6/2015

52 Comments

 
Picture
I was co-facilitating a coach training workshop for leaders last week. Sun was streaming in through the windows and I was thinking about how to illustrate the concept of psychological filters and distortions. At that very second, I looked up and saw this perfect image. A real Plato’s Cave moment. Pointing to the window blind, I asked participants to imagine what the window frame is like behind it, based purely on what they could see. ‘Curved, bent, twisted, grey?’

In my experience as a psychological coach, this can be a most important and valuable insight. We continuously filter experiences so that what we perceive and what meaning we attribute to it is influenced as much by what is happening within us as anything that is taking place externally to us in the room. I’ll introduce four types of filter or influence in these notes below, along with a brief explanation for each: projection, transference, culture and emotion.

You may have heard the expression, ‘We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.’ This idea of projection is a simple and complex one. Watts illustrates it like this: imagine a projector on your shoulder, projecting an image onto a person standing in front of you. What you see is a combination of what they actually look like with an overlay of aspects of the projected image. This distorts what we perceive so that we partly relate to the person as they are, and partly as we are.

The principle here is that we subconsciously project aspects of ourselves onto those we encounter. At a functional level, it helps us to identify and empathise with people. It’s as if we recognise something of ourselves in them. However, we also project aspects of ourselves onto others that we don’t acknowledge or recognise in ourselves. Perhaps I’m not aware of how compassionate I am but see it in others around me. Perhaps what I find annoying in others is a denied aspect of me too.

Our perceptions are also influenced by our past. It’s as if we filter all new experiences through what we have experienced previously and what conscious (rational) or subconscious (intuitive) conclusions we have drawn from it. Human Givens therapists talk about this as pattern matching. If we encounter someone or something that reminds us of a previous person or event, it may re-trigger that previous experience so that we experience the new event along with the past.

I see this happen a lot in coaching conversations. Clients may react to experiences in the present as if they are unknowingly re-living similar experiences from the past and transferring something of those experiences onto how they are interpreting the present. This kind of resonance can create an amplifying effect, causing the person to overreact to a person or issue in the here and now. Surfacing the pattern, the transference, can be releasing and create a new sense of perspective.

What and how we perceive someone or something in a situation is also influenced by our cultural beliefs and values. It’s as if there is a permeable boundary between ourselves and others so that what we experience is us - but not only us. Cognitive behavioural research shows how what we feel in any given situation is influenced profoundly by what we believe about that situation. In this sense, our culture acts as a filter, influencing what we notice, or not, and what sense we make of it.

Finally, our perceptions are influenced by our physical and emotional state in the moment. If a person is feeling highly stressed, for instance, they may shift into fight/flight/freeze mode which significantly affects their cognitive abilities. He or she may experience a whole range of cognitive distortions that nevertheless appear to them, in that moment, as reality. I’ve written more about this in a short article: Fresh Thinking.

Perhaps the most significant point here is that for most of us most of the time, we are unaware of the filters we hold. We continually create and recreate our perceived realities. When we look at the window blind, we may assume we are looking at the window. We believe that what we perceive is what is. As far as we know, the window frame is curved, bent, twisted and grey – that is, assuming we know or believe there is a separate reality, a window frame, beyond the blind.

As leaders, coaches and facilitators, we can grow in awareness of our own filters and their potentially distorting effects. We can learn to notice when we are projecting or transferring onto people and experiences. We can grow in awareness of our cultural beliefs and how they shape what we perceive and what we value. We can grow in awareness of our emotional states – what triggers them and how to handle them in the moment.

We can enable others to grow in awareness too, thereby broadening the range of possibilities, of options, available to them – and to us. I would be interested to hear whether anything I’ve described here resonates with your own experiences. Notice what the photo, my language, my way of presenting ideas evokes in you. How do you feel as you read this? What does it remind you of? What are you noticing and not noticing, including within and about yourself? I look forward to hearing from you!
52 Comments
Rohit Bhatnagar
2/7/2015 06:40:08 am

Perception = Reality most times for all.

Reply
Nick Wright
3/7/2015 11:04:34 am

Hi Rohit and thanks for the note. Yes, I too believe that people often believe that what they perceive is how reality is objectively. Are you familiar with Kenneth Gergen's and Vivien Burr's work in this area of social constructionism? Fascinating and challenging stuff! With best wishes. Nick

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Asha Menon
6/7/2015 03:13:13 am

Beautifully articulated Nick. I loved the analogies of the window frame and the projector. As a coach and OD professional myself, it's always been a challenge to change the perceptions that are prevalent in the organization and have shaped the organization's inherent culture.

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Nick Wright
6/7/2015 12:21:30 pm

Hi Asha and thanks for such encouraging feedback. I recognise the challenge you describe from my own work in OD. In light of this, I often choose the role of a 'mirror', offering a way for people in an organisation to look at themselves in a fresh light. Questions such as, 'What are you noticing?', 'What are you not noticing?' and 'What assumptions are you making?' can be powerful in this role. I would be very interested to hear more about your experiences and how you have approached them. With best wishes. Nick

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Pip Ferguson
6/7/2015 07:21:49 am

Nick, this very much resonates with me. My husband and I co-wrote a paper a few years back called "Can the goldfish see the water?" We were each reflecting on experiences we've had when working cross-culturally, and how we have unwittingly projected our own cultural or educational takes on things, on to students or peers who come from different cultures or educational contexts.
Also, your point about perhaps not seeing the compassion in ourselves, reminds me of Parker J. Palmer's comment in his book "Let Your Life Speak: listening for the voice of vocation" that we are often not aware of our own gifts, and need to take heed of others who alert us to these.
A stimulating and enjoyable reflection Nick, thanks for sharing.
Kind regards
Pip

Reply
Nick Wright
6/7/2015 12:28:33 pm

Hi Pip,

Thanks for such thoughtful reflections. 'Can the goldfish see the water?' - what a great question!! Another question could be, 'What does it mean for a goldfish to be a goldfish?' I would love to see a copy of your paper. Is it available online?

Your comments about not being aware of our own gifts reminded me of an idea in social psychology that we find out who we are and what we are like by exposing ourselves to new experiences, seeing how we respond and what self-awareness emerges for us.

Feedback from others is clearly a good way to learn more about ourselves too, bearing in mind that feedback often reveals as much about the person (and his or her cultural environment) giving it as the one towards whom it is intended.

Thanks again for your reflections andencouraging feedback. With best wishes. Nick

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Pip Ferguson
7/7/2015 02:16:49 am

Hi Nick - glad it made sense. Yes, the paper is available electronically. See http://wc2010.alara.net.au/Formatted%20Papers/1.3.2.EDU.2.pdf
I suspect this is going to be a lifetime journey! I am currently working in Ireland and having to keep seeking feedback on whether and how my practice here can be more culturally sensitive. I'm not 'seeing the water here' clearly yet. I guess it's debatable how clearly 'outsiders' can ever see the water in a culture that is not their own.

You may also be interested in a paper that I just had reviewed and published by EJOLTS, for which I am a peer reviewer and on the Development Team. First time I've submitted my own stuff to it though, grin! See 'Who am I who teaches?' at http://www.ejolts.net/current - I draw quite a bit on Parker J Palmer's work in this paper.

Finally, your comment about social psychology reminds me of the Johari window - the seeking to expand the 'hidden' section.

Warm regards

Pip

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 02:27:26 am

Hi Pip and many thanks for the links. I'm looking forward to reading them! :) Have you read anything on social constructionism? Sounds like there are some resonances there too. With best wishes. Nick

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Denis Jenkins
7/7/2015 02:28:53 am

Perception is very much coloured by previous experiences. Perception is also influenced by the level of agility in cognitive development. This either enhances or places barriers of reasoning that sets up sub cortical biases at the limbic level of neurological performance.

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Nick Wright
7/7/2015 04:23:30 am

Hi Denis and thanks for the note. Are you saying that people's biases and ability to view things from different perspectives are influenced by how their brain has developed physically?

Reply
Milind Kher
7/7/2015 02:29:27 am

Observation and interpretation influence perception. The same incident may be seen or heard of by two different people who may, based on their interpretations, form totally different perceptions

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Nick Wright
7/7/2015 04:32:18 am

Hi Milind and thanks for your reflections. You reminded me of some work by Bolman & Deal who commented that: 'What is important about any event is not what happened but what it means. Events and meanings are loosely coupled: the same events can have very different meanings for different people because of the differences in the schema that they use to interpret their experience.' (Reframing Organisations, 1991). With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Rick Kay
8/7/2015 12:37:50 pm

One of the important things I stress as an Interpreter is connecting tangibles to intangibles. We want guests to get a visceral connection to the site/object/event we are talking about. People remember themes more than facts. In our zeal to create a sense of stewardship I can see how our perception of what we're interpreting can result in a positive or negative experience for the audience. It's important to know yourself as well as your audience.

Maureen Keane
7/7/2015 02:30:09 am

Perception is so important. As they say - "Perception is reality". But I think so many people dismiss it and don't realize how important it is to relationships.
Good post. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 04:35:09 am

Hi Maureen and thanks for the note. Yes, if I believe that how I see the world is how the world is in a definitive sense, it can create challenges to relationship if I meet someone who holds the same belief about how they see the world, especially if their perception clashes with mine. This is where I have found insights from social constructionism to be particularly valuable. With best wishes and thanks for your encouragement! Nick

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Sabbir Latif PhD
7/7/2015 02:30:48 am

This goes as far as a Greek philosopher, Epictitus, 2000 years ago--" Situation doesn't upsets us, what we tell about the situation, is what upsets us;" what we tell ourselves is based on our perceptions.
No matter how many times we hear, many of us forget. So I don't mind hearing over and over again:-)
Thanks,

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 04:44:31 am

Thanks Sabbir. Yes, it reminds me of Albert Ellis' ABC theory of emotion. A = Activating Event, B = Belief, C = Consequent Emotion. What we feel is based on what we believe about an event - e.g. what significance it holds for us - rather than the event itself. Thanks for reminding me too! With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Sabbir Latif PhD
9/7/2015 02:39:02 am

I watched Brain Games on Netflix last night. #1 is about perception. The conclusion--there is nothing else in the real world except what our brain perceives. There are some great activities in there that makes some excellent points.

Can't wait to watch more.

Pip Ferguson
7/7/2015 02:31:14 am

Yes, a bit. I cover it (lightly) in one of the courses I teach to tutors and demonstrators. Makes very good sense, and would be my preferred theoretical approach although I also really like Invitational Theory, a less-known theory that focuses on consciously and unconsciously inviting or disinviting instances across people, programmes, policies, places and processes in educational institutions. It's a bit more complicated than that - builds on self-concept and self-esteem theory, but I've taught that in mixed cultural contexts back home in NZ and people just seem to 'get it'!
Warm regards
Pip

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 04:57:11 am

Hi Pip. Oooh - tell me more about Invitational Theory and how it works in practice? Any examples? I'm intrigued. All the best. Nick

Reply
Milind Kher
7/7/2015 02:31:24 am

An incident is always the same, for all, but varies in the impact it has and the perspective in which it is viewed. To have a holistic view, it is important to view it from the other person's point of view.

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 05:02:22 am

Thans Milind. A good reminder to try to see things from anothers' perspective. With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Adrian Stokes
7/7/2015 05:03:06 am

The answer - everything and nothing. I love psychology, philosophy and neuroscience, but cannot pretend to be knowledgeable in any of them. There are sooo many influences on our perception that I wouldn't even start to try to list them, but what a great article to get your interest sparked!

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 05:08:16 am

Hi Adrian. I guess 'knowledgeable' is always a relative term. ;) The thing that sparked my own reflections was seeing that image in the window. Thanks for the great encouragement! With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Roger Greenaway
7/7/2015 05:03:51 am

A beautifully concise introduction to four of the main filters through which we experience the world. I am particularly fascinated by the history filter - because our personal history (or life story?) both distorts and enhances what we see in the present. The same is probably true of the cultural filter - which can both distort and enhance what we see in the present.

The word "distortion" has a negative connotation, but technically I guess some "distortions" can be deliberately adopted as enabling filters. Rose-tinted spectacles come to mind. Maybe the point is that we knowingly choose how to adjust these filters in different situations to help us and others thrive?

My main concern with this focus on filters is that it seems to rely on a belief that somewhere there is a filter-free zone of neutral objective reality. Even in the physical sciences there is plenty of uncertainty - and this is more so in the human sciences. Thinking you have acquired a filter-free view of reality is probably a dangerous delusion.

In the field of experiential learning do we not enourage people to develop and adopt enabling filters so that their current perceptions and choices are influenced by the wisdom they have gained through life experience? Or do should we regard wisdom as a filter to be removed? I think not.

Kindly point out if there is a flaw in my reasoning.

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 05:22:05 am

Hi Roger. Thanks for the note and for such stimulating insights and questions. I hadn't really thought about how distortions could be deliberately drawn upon as enablers. You've got me thinking!

Perhaps, for me, it's something about being aware, as far as we can be, of what influences our own perception as well as that of others. This awareness can open a fresh degree of choice, including in our relationships with others in the world.

I do believe there is an objective reality that exists independently of my perception. However, I don't think it's possible for me (or anyone) to perceive it objectively as I/we always perceive and construe it through my/our own/cultural filters.

I think it was Kant who said something about God like this: 'God reveals himself objectively; I experience him subjectively.' I think this principle applies to all perception. What we notice and don't notice, what sense we make of it etc, is always constructed as well as observed.

This is where I find insights from social constructionism particularly fascinating and releasing. I like your comments about wisdom as a filter based on learning from past experience, bearing in mind that what is perceived as 'wisdom' in any particular context is personally and socially constructed too.

Thanks again for such stimulating comments - much appreciated. With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Martine Bolton
7/7/2015 05:04:29 am

Morning Nick. What a great article. In awe, as always, of your knowledge, insight and writing ability!

Picking up on Roger's point, I heard an anecdote that it took The Buddha 7 years of sitting under a tree meditating in Tibet to reach the state of enlightenment when he could simply perceive what was, without holding any thoughts, judgements, etc. about it. What hope for the rest of us?!

As long as we are conscious about how we are processing events and information (sounds easy enough, lol!), and are open to the fact that our beliefs, assumptions, stories, etc. could well be faulty, then we shouldn't go too far wrong.

The quality of our consciousness is probably the key to the quality of our ourcomes/lives.

Reply
Roger Greenaway
7/7/2015 05:05:12 am

I have not thought for 7 years about this reply, Martine, so it will inevitably be filtered. But if I were to try following Buddha's example, what could I possibly say about the object of my contemplation if a mark of my success is the absence of any thought or judgement about it? What I like about the story is how it emphasises the value of reflection - even if it is a very particular kind of reflection that arises from applying one particular filter over a period of several years. I am doubtful about the value of an emptiness filter that destroys all other filters. I'd go more with the line that it is good to be aware of the filters we use and to choose them knowingly rather than put all our eggs in one basket and rely on one superfilter which, by definition, is a pathway to imbalance and delusion.

Reply
Martine Bolton
7/7/2015 05:05:47 am

Yes, there is a time for perceiving what is - ie just receiving without judgement (for example observing, listening), and a time for computing - (in the case of observing and listening, afterwards, when deciding what it means, how to respond, etc).

Day to day operating requires quite a lot of computing, so it's good to have a bit of down time where we allow our minds to relax.

Nick Wright
7/7/2015 05:32:57 am

Hi Martine. Thanks for your very kind words and your great encouragement. :)

I have to admit that I find the Buddha account puzzling, partly because I haven't studied or experienced Buddhism and so I risk superimposing my own worldview and filters onto something I haven't really grasped.

I also find it puzzling because I can't imagine how it is possible to perceive what is. Perhaps I've been too influenced by social constructionism so that I can't now see beyond it! I'm wondering if it sits somewhere closer to what I, as a Christian, understand as spiritual revelation or discernment.

I like your comment about the quality of our consciousness. If I ever come to the point that I'm convinced that I see and understand everthing for what it is, I need to remind myself that I'm at greatest risk of delusion.

As Peter Cotterell (former Principal at the theological school where I studied) once said: 'If we knew the points at which we were wrong, we would take steps to change them. Since we don't know where we may be wrong - this calls for a great deal of humility.'

With thanks again and best wishes. Nick

Reply
Martine Bolton
7/7/2015 07:53:17 am

Good points Nick. Maybe we can only really perceive what is when we first arrive here on the earth, before we start the process of mental construction.

I read something a few years ago which suggested that just about everything we think we know is faulty, which would make humility a rather useful attribute ;-).

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and have a lovely afternoon.

Roger Greenaway
7/7/2015 08:52:40 am

Maybe some filters are more welcome than others, some filters more invisible than others, some filters harder to remove than others, and some filters harder to create and develop.

I would dispute whether it is possible for anyone to achieve a filter-free view of the world and I cannot see its merits anyway. Raised consciousness sounds appealing, but my consciousness of the world is raised through the filter of wearing glasses despite their distorting effect (all filters are faulty as you point out Martine) and my consciousness of the natural world has been raised through the works of creative artists, through the filter of direct personal experience and through the filters of experts who point things out to me that I would otherwise miss. And it is difficult to appreciate another culture without trying to borrow the filters of that culture for a while. I think the quality of consciousness is raised by carefully considering which filters to use and which filters to try discarding or putting to one side.

I think your article, Nick, is valuable in highlighting the value of the discarding process but is there not a more constructive angle to explore in a follow-up article - as suggested by your comments above?

Pip Ferguson
7/7/2015 05:14:36 am

You're all writing such fascinating stuff I would love to stop the complex chapter-rewriting task I'm on and engage, but alas, I have procrastinated for long enough already! But it reminds me of a comment I read once on a qual-research listserv group I subscribed to back in the day, when I asked a question that got people going, as Nick's post has done here. "Ah, the sleeping giant awakes!" This is very thought-provoking and engaging dialogue, people.

Anyway, Nick, as you're in some kind of leadership role I've just pasted in a URL to an invitational leadership blog but google invitational theory and lots of examples will come up. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/invitational-leadership-essential-guide_b_1861139.html

Enjoy - one of the aspects of the theory is also built on perceptual theory so very relevant to this conversation - and also self-care (being personally and professionally inviting) is part of it. It's pretty holistic, and expressed in terms anyone can understand.
Warm regards
Pip

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 07:54:43 am

Interesting stuff, Pip! Now - get back to your work. ;) Nick

Reply
Ian Henderson
7/7/2015 08:57:03 am

Really good and useful article Nick - thanks for your insight!

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 08:58:17 am

Hi Ian and thank you. Did it resonate with any of your insights and experiences from the NLP world? I'd be interested to hear more. With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Albert Valentine
7/7/2015 09:00:29 am

Great article Nick. Really appreciate you sharing it with the world.

Reply
Nick Wright
7/7/2015 09:01:36 am

Hi Albert. Thanks for such encouraging feedback. It has been inspiring for me to receive such insightful and useful comments from others with an interest in this field too. With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Tom Talbot
8/7/2015 02:16:49 am

I have come to this discussion late, but have enjoyed following the conversation, concluding with Roger's comments on developing quality consciousness. Is this the same basis as mindfulness? Currently high on the list of popular trends?

Reply
Martine Bolton
8/7/2015 06:32:56 am

I believe so Tom. Mindfulness seems to be the 'in' word for the state of being fully present to, and conscious of, what's happening inside and outside of ourselves. The quality of that consciousness depends on being very honest with ourselves about our perceptions, judgements and motives... which probably brings us back around to humility again! Oh, it's fun, this human experience :-)

Reply
Stuart Sayer link
8/7/2015 03:17:31 am

Great article Nick - Thank you. I particularly like your comment "Perhaps the most significant point here is that for most of us most of the time, we are unaware of the filters we hold". During my sessions I actively help participant's to raise their awareness of such filters. For anyone seeking to generate better results for themselves, it's so important!

Reply
Nick Wright
8/7/2015 06:34:32 am

Thanks for your encouraging feedback, Stuart. I'd be very interested to hear more about how you help raise participant awareness of filters - how do you do it? With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Reply
Roger Greenaway
8/7/2015 10:00:46 am

In qualitative research there is a process called "bracketing" which gives the researcher the best of both worlds - being able to recognise filters and put them to one side. Or that is what they/we aspire to do. Forgive me if I am reducing a discussion about beliefs into one about technical procedures - but I think this is a very pertinent parallel to Nick's original article and to the discussion that has followed.

"Bracketing is a method used in qualitative research to mitigate the potentially deleterious effects of preconceptions that may taint the research process"

Bracketing in Qualitative Research - ResearchGate. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/257924681_Bracketing_in_Qualitative_Research [accessed Jul 8, 2015].

Reply
Nick Wright
8/7/2015 10:02:13 am

Hi Roger. Thanks - I haven't heard of 'bracketing' before. Will see what I can find out about it. Perhaps it links to ideas such as research bias? With best wishes. Nick

Reply
Martine Bolton
9/7/2015 02:40:54 am

I haven't heard of research bias. Is it like confirmation bias? I definitely believe we get the results that match our expectations. The 7 Habits' 'See > Do > Get' model comes to mind.

I don't personally apply filters in any kind of conscious way - I just try to be aware that the way I see things (through my own personal filters) is not necessarily the way things really are, and that I should keep an open mind as at least some (if not most!) of what I think I 'know' is likely to be erroneous.

Actually, thinking a bit more deeply, I probably do apply conscious filters sometimes - for example the filter of 'looking for the good'... not because it is a fact that there's good in everything and everyone, but just because I have learned that looking for the good seems to result in positive outcomes. Sorry if that sounds a bit 'Pollyanna'! Still working on identifying and replacing other filters I become conscious of that aren't so helpful.

Nick Wright
9/7/2015 02:47:31 am

Hi Martine,

Yes - I had confirmation bias in mind, although there are other forms of bias influenced by, say, who is funding the research, what questions they believe are important to explore, what pre-determined yet often unexamined constructs determine the focus, language and approach of the research etc. (see Kenneth Gergen's work on social constructionism).

I really like your idea of applying filters consciously, e.g. looking for the good. It means we choose what to focus on - and do it with awareness. If we only see the 'good' in people and situations and don't question it, it could be that we are projecting goodness onto people and situations or, for some reason, filtering out the 'bad' if it's something we don't feel able to cope with.

Lots to think about. Thanks again for your stimulating comments! Nick

Martine Bolton
9/7/2015 03:20:43 am

Yes - I think research is probably to be suspected, if it's done by an organisation with an invested interest (comment brought to you through the filter of suspicion!).

Nick Wright
9/7/2015 03:21:19 am

Hey Martine - you're good at this! ;)

Juan Hamilton
10/7/2015 09:07:15 am

Nick, your article is thought provoking and reminds me of the importance to suspend judgement when coaching people. It's easy to see only the "window shade" in people. Unless we dig deep and ask those probing questions of our learners, we will not reveal who they are and their true needs. Learners live up or down to our perceptions of them.

Reply
Jeremy Marchant link
15/7/2015 05:03:18 am

The whole point of the remark, "All perception is projection" is that we DON’T see "a combination of what they actually look like with an overlay of aspects of the projected image”, contrary to your para 3.

We cannot know what other people “actually look like” because _everything_ we perceive is perceived in the same way, that is through the lens of our own perceptions of ourselves. There is no way, at least there is no way currently accepted in psychology or philosophy, that we can see anything of “reality”. I do not go so far as to say that everything I think is reality is actually my personal construct—that’s just silly—but, if it were the case that our perception of someone else is partly our perception of them and partly “reality”, how on earth could we find the dividing line between the two? What psychological mechanisms exist such that some categories of perception are in the “reality” category and some aren’t?

It isn’t helpful to say, “This [presumably projection] distorts what we perceive”. it just _is_ what we perceive.

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James Edgar Johnson
25/8/2015 07:50:28 am

Accumulated experience in life. Some posit that perception is passed via the DNA.

Reply
minecraft link
7/9/2015 10:07:18 am

Very interesting, I've spent a lot of time to read and think about it, thanks for your ideas.

Reply



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    ​Nick Wright

    ​I'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? ​Get in touch!

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