Perception

You’ve probably heard the age old question, “Is the glass half full or half empty?” As we know, it’s all in how you look at it. Perception is a powerful influence on our lives, as it affects not only our relative optimism vs. pessimism, but also colors how we see everything around us. Most importantly, perhaps, perception changes how we see ourselves.

We are all born with certain predispositions, and from an early age, our unique personality traits can be seen. As we grow up, these natural traits combine with our life experiences to form our assumptions, beliefs, and patterns of thought. One could argue that perception is the combination of all of these factors.

Sometimes, untrue and unhelpful messages filter into our perception, particularly if we receive negative messages or endure trauma during vulnerable periods like childhood and our teenage years. This can cause us to develop harmful beliefs and heavily distorted thought patterns.

Perception is important because it often dictates our actions, whether we know it or not. Over time, our perception can result in conditioned responses to certain situations. Our brains are always on the lookout for repetition, and when a similar situation arises, we tend to react to it with thoughts and behaviors that we have used before and are linked to our core beliefs.

For instance, if a child experiences emotional neglect from a caregiver, the belief they develop may have something to do with being unworthy. This template may cause them to end up in unstable relationships as an adult due to an underlying belief that they are not worth it. These automatic thoughts and responses can become especially problematic if our perception is off.

When any issue in life arises, it’s worth asking, “Is this a problem of perception or a problem of reality?” Knowing the difference can have a huge impact on both how you solve the problem and how you feel about things. Taking a deep dive into our perception is an important endeavor, even outside of any distressing issues. Since your perception affects every part of your life, it’s a good idea to routinely check your thought patterns and make sure they are firmly rooted in a healthy and realistic world view.