The Truth of our Perceptions of Reality

You’ve seen or heard it, it’s been growing and progressing for decades. In the
political arena, the business world, education, your relationships anytime there’s
a disagreement or conflict: “Perception is reality.” This interpretation or feeling
is often used to justify a perception that may be objectively false or just plain
out of touch with reality. It’s often used as a means to an end, to force others to
accepting someone’s so called reality. In a philosophical thought, this maxim
creates a sense of subjective relativism (interchangeability) in situations that
are more likely to be objective(truthful).

Let me be very clear of the Truth I’ve distinguished as I have been for years, with
an absolute sense of reality and without any subjective perceptual flexibility that
perception is NOT truth or reality. As I believe truthful words and speech have
meaning, that transform our knowledge and have the power to shape our attitudes,
beliefs, and perceptions, let me show you personally that perceptions and the truth
in reality are different. This is the dictionary definition of perception:

“The way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental

impression.”

Here is the dictionary definition of reality:

“The world or the state of things as they actually exist… existence that is
absolute, self-sufficient, or objective, and not subject to human decisions or
conventions.”

Clearly perception and reality mean very different things. The first consists
entirely in the mind, and are our opinions, feelings and thoughts, which through
logical thought or mental gymnastics can turn any belief or perception we have into
reality. The latter exists outside of the mind and can’t be manipulated easily. To
mistake any perception with the Truth or reality is to reject the Truth, the
Enlightenment and is a major regression back to the middle ages and even pre-
antiquity.

Perceptions are not the Truth or reality, but, perceptions can become a persons
perception of reality(there is a major difference) because the way we view the
world in the moment is our perception of reality and has potential to influence how
we think about and look at everything.

Here’s another way to think about it. Perception is thought of as the lens through
which we view reality. Our current perceptions influence how we feel, focus on,
process, remember, interpret, understand, synthesize, decide about and act on
reality. Naturally, our first instinct is to assume that how we perceive reality is
an accurate or truthful interpretation of what the Truth is in reality. But it’s
not. The problem is that our actual Perception’s of Reality are twisted in the
first place by our beliefs that perception is subjective and therefore reality is,
our genetic predispositions, past experiences, prior-knowledge, emotions,
preconceived notions of reality, selfishness, and cognitive distortions or biases.

Our Perceptions are our senses, all humans sense the world one way, Truthfully. We
all have eyes to see and ears to hear with. How we interpret(with our mind and
feelings) our perceptions of reality is somewhat subjective, we can actually make
ourselves feel any way about anything. Yet what the Truth is of our feelings
actually decides how we feel and think. If we feel our mother or father has died
when in reality they haven’t or we aren’t mistaken, then that feeling passes and we
realize it isn’t real. The same thing happens when we have a perceived of
disagreement or argument with another person. If we feel a certain way about
something and then when we are told the Truth, maybe by an opposing side or a close
friend, and we’re wrong we then correct our feelings or beliefs and accept what the
Truth is. We expect the same out of the other side. Which may mean we were not
feeling a real or truthful feeling before. It was a perception of reality.

It’s also true that each person experiences their own life and everyone’s life is
different, you can make it what you want and that’s a great thing. That doesn’t
prove out of necessity though that how each of us perceive and interpret our
experiences are subjectively different. Our senses all work the same truthfully,
with outliers, and how we choose to interpret those perceptions of reality can
either be on the side of the Truth or our own feelings, biases or the subjective
interpretation/perception of what it means.

Cognitive biases(there are 100s) are systematic ways in which humans create a
subjective social reality that deviates from objective reality.

Perceiving reality is subjective in this way is one of them, clearly.

I can understand how some people argue that the Truth and reality doesn’t exist,
but, instead is a subjective construct because we don’t “experience” reality
directly. They say that instead we experience reality through senses that limit how
we process reality. An example is that humans only see a circumscribed spectrum of
colors or hear a defined ranged of sounds. More recent attempts to prove this
consist of ideas that all of our senses are subjective, we perceive things
subjectively and therefore an objective reality doesn’t exist. But, just because we
can or choose to perceive our experiences, senses or reality is subjective, doesn’t
mean that is the Truth. Thankfully, we have the Truth of our Perceptions of Reality
to know this and the technology in most situations to objectively understand or
measure this(of course disbelievers of the Truth or anti-Truth believers could
argue that understanding the Truth requires perception, thus “proving” their point
that perception is reality and is subjective to each of us but the Truth even of
our Perceptions of Reality disproves and disagrees with that false perception of
reality, the Truth exists to your perceptions and you know it).

An important question to ask is: “What’s wrong with our perceptions splitting from
reality?” What if I perceive the world in a way that is out of touch with the Truth
and reality? As with most thing in life, it depends. But, in short, when the
Individual doesn’t live Truthfully his or her life, and everyone else’s life around
them becomes bad and worsens to the point where you’re all manifesting hell on
earth willingly. For example, if perception deviates from the truth in reality it
can become a liability. Setting unattainable goals and lack of preparation for
difficult tasks is part of that. In fact, a massive disconnect between perception
and reality can lead people to a complete inability to function(severe mental
illness as an example) and need truthful help to align their perception with
reality again.

At a societal level, when individuals or institutions develop perceptions that are

so far apart, one major problem is that it can be perceived common ground cannot be
found. This problem is seen easily in our politics where people on one side are
believing in such a manufactured perception of reality that it’s almost become
impossible to govern or find unity. The result is complete apprehension and
confusion or clear hostility to truthful individuals across all levels. Over time,
a perceived of massive divide between people would lead to a progressive decline
and destruction of all institutions that hold a society together(the Truth,
marriage/family, the individual, constitutional rights, mutual relationships,
sex/gender, government, arts, etc.).

The challenge we face with our own thinking as well as commonly understanding the
thinking of others, is how to make sure our perceptions of reality are with the
Truth instead. This understanding is essential for us to live in the real world,
find agreement with others, and refresh and maintain the individual, governmental
and societal structures that are necessary for life as we know it to exist. These
are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t assume your perceptions are the Truth or a complete

representation of reality(your reality)
• Be respectful and considerate of other people and what they say(they
may be right or truthful)
• Don’t believe hold your perceptions and feelings too tightly. They may
be wrong and admitting the Truth of that takes strength and courage.
• Be aware of the wrong feelings and false perceptions within you that
warp your interpretation of the truth and reality. Seeing them will make you more
truthful than the contrary of not.
• Challenge your perceptions, does how you view things make sense
compared to considering what the Truth is.
• Seek out validation from the Truth itself, other Truthful individuals
and credible experts. Don’t just ask your close circle of friends, they may have
similar common misperceptions as you.
• Be humble and open to modifying your perceptions of reality if the
Truth and preponderance of evidence demands it. Having a hardened heart and flawed
perceptions is worse than simply being wrong.
• Be strong and courageous in good faith, you have the Truth with you at
all times.

The most important thing you must do is form a personal relationship with the Truth
itself. Ask for forgiveness for your past perceptions and life, and accept the
Truth itself wholeheartedly and in every situation. Knowing the Truth is always
with you in this new life. Speak of the Truth and good things. Take time to
consider and learn about what the Truth itself is on your own too.

The next time someone tries making you believe that “perception is reality” in any
way, in defense of all that is good, you stand and tell them that might be the
Perception of Reality but that is not the Truth.