Perception & Judgement

 

 

We've all heard the expression "perception is reality."  Frankly - it's one of my favorites, and most used.  Why: because it's true (for the most part). 

 

That said, I really don't want to agree with it ... I don't ... and for a boatload of reasons.   Mainly, because it's superficial, reactionary and most of all, because perception is not reality; reality is reality (deep, hun?).  

 

But even if we strive for "reality" over "perception" - we still have a problem.  And that problem starts and stops with our ability/inability to objectively judge and pass judgment.  The fact is that as people, we're all programmed, to one degree or another.

 

In other words, we're opinionated - which means that our perceptions, and subsequently our judgments - are more likely than not, based on our personal preferences, likes and dislikes. 

 

Furthermore, when it comes to our perceptions and judgments - most of us don't take the time to "see things from the other side."  We rush to conclusions, without  the benefit of critical thinking, and taking everything into context.         

 

Our frustration with opinionated (and incorrect) perception/judgment has been around for ages; heck, since us humans came into existence.  And since this is a real pet peeve for me (I'm trying to get better) - I've compiled, over the years, some classics quotes when it comes to the issue around/with perception, judging and being judged. 

 

Check it out:

 

·       How dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong. – Sophocles

·       Hear the other side. – Saint Augustine

·       For to err in opinion or judgment, is human. – Plutarch

·       How much easier it is to be critical than correct. – Benjamin Disraeli (1860)

·       You will be damned if you do and damned if you don’t. – Lorenzo Dow

·       Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing. – Emerson

·       With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter nor waste arguments that will be lost. – Loyd Garrison.

·       Principles, opinions and assumptions – may and must be flexible. – Abraham Lincoln

·       New people and their opinions are always suspected and usually opposed without any other reason but because they are not already common – Locke

·       He who knows only his side of the case, knows little of that. – John Stuart Mill

·       To doubt everything or to believe in everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity to think and reflect. – Jules Poincare

·       He who can, does. He who can’t, takes issues with he who can. – George Bernard Shaw

·       Nobody likes the man who brings bad news. – Sophocles

·       Criticism comes easier then craftsmanship. – Zeuxis

·       Opinions are like belly buttons: everyone’s got one. – Scott Abbott

 Objective Perception/Judgment is Good.