Perception vs. Perspective: Navigating Life With Clear Understanding
The difference between perception and perspective is very crucial to personal growth and critical for decision-making. Let’s break down these concepts to see them in action in an average day.
Perception: Perception is the process of how we view and receive the world through our experiences in regard to the world through our senses. It refers to the way we see and understand the world. In simple terms, this is just the input we receive through our senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell—and how these are understood and processed by the brain. Perception is influenced by our physical and physiological condition, and there can be inaccuracies in the perception brought about by the use of biases.
Perspective: Perspective, on the other hand, refers to the position of looking at things. In this context, it is the view or view of a situation, fact, or data. Perspective is a point of view or approach with which one views situations, facts, or data and takes into account the background, experience, values, and the existing set of beliefs that an individual holds. This is what allows us to interpret our perceptions and—when looking at the same thing—may be different when comparing one human to another.
Its Role in Life Both perception and perspective play a very important role in making us more adaptive and empathic and effective in our actions. Realizing that your opinions are based on your experiences and may not be similar to others’ opinions will make you appreciate the multitude of different perspectives different people hold and pounce on life more judiciously.
A Simple Story: Imagine two friends, Sara and Shivam, walking through a park. Sara sees a dog and feels scared because, as a child, she was bitten by a dog. Her perception is influenced by her past painful sensory experience, and her perspective is that dogs are dangerous.
Shivam, who has grown up with dogs and loves them, sees the same dog and feels happy and excited. His perception is influenced by positive experiences, and his perspective is that dogs are friendly and fun.
One day, they both encounter the same dog in the park. Shivam notices Sara’s discomfort and explains his positive experiences with dogs. Sara listens and acknowledges that not all dogs are harmful, and her fear might not always be justified. This conversation helps Sara adjust her perspective slightly, though her initial perception remains influenced by her past.
Through this interaction, both learn from each other. Shivam understands Sara’s fear better, and Sara opens up to a new way of seeing dogs, potentially reducing her fear over time.
How Understanding the Difference Benefits Life: This could be a tool in some person’s development and better relations with others. Realizing that our perceptions are not always the whole truth and perspectives can be broadened will open us up to be more open-minded, more resilient, and a little bit more compassionate. We learn how to check our biases and assumptions, listen to others, and make more informed decisions.
Personal Reflection: I find it always very interesting that while talking to users, with you as well, they ask questions about perception and perspective. Explaining always helps them to realize how ours is not the truth and how important it is to show an event from a different viewpoint. This not only aids in personal development but enhances communication and understanding in professional and personal relationships.
“Perception is your window to the world; perspective is the telescope that brings it into focus. Together, they can take you far beyond the horizon.”