We see things not as they are, but as we are.
Many wise teachers have used the quote above over the last several centuries. And it is so true. We see the world through the lenses of our own experiences. We think that we see the world as it is, but the truth is that we see the world as we are. Who we are–our being–forms a paradigm through which we see the world.
Why is it important to know the things that influence our perception?
We know that our paradigms determine how we see the world. How we see, in turn, determines how we act. And our actions determine the results we get.
To change the results we are getting, we often need to start by changing our paradigm or our perception. To change our perception requires that we become consciously aware of our own biases and the things that impact our perception of the world.
6 Things that Influence our Perception
Our DESIGN influences our perception of the world. DESIGN is an acronym I’ve created to help us remember six key elements that influence our perception. Our DESIGN is the result of contributions from nature (hereditary) and nurture (our environment and upbringing).
Related Article: DESIGN: 6 Keys to Finding Your Calling or Element.
1. Dreams
Our dreams and passions impact our perception. If you are passionate about long-distance running, your perception of how much money is reasonable to spend on running shoes will be different from someone who doesn’t have that passion. The same thing is true about our perception of work. If promotion to the top of your company is one of your dreams and passions, your perception of work would be different from someone who is not interested in that industry and is only doing the job until they can find something else that they are interested in. Our dreams, interests, and passions influence our perceptions.
2. Experiences
Our personal experiences from childhood (both good and bad), peer pressure from friends, and other shaping influences, especially during our early childhood and development, shape the kind of paradigms we develop and, in turn, shape the way we see the world.
Our societal experiences play a huge part in shaping our perceptions. Let’s take, for example, the perception of what constitutes a beautiful woman. In the Western World, a beautiful woman is one that is slim and shaped like a figure of eight. In other parts of the world, such as some regions of Africa, it is much more common for people to prefer a woman who is overweight than one who is tall and slim.
Another way our culture and experiences have impacted the way we perceive things is in a phenomenon called the Halo Effect. The Halo Effect is a form of cognitive bias in which our brains allow specific positive traits to positively influence the overall evaluation of the person, idea, or object in the halo. For example, tall and handsome looking men are viewed to be more competent than their short counterparts. When you look at U.S. presidential elections, the taller person wins most of the time. Beautiful women are also frequently treated better than women who are not perceived to be as beautiful.
Related Video: The Halo Effect.
Also, a person raised in humble circumstances in a small village in Africa perceives the world differently from someone raised in Orange County, California, even though both people may be family doctors working in the same clinic.
3. Spiritual Maturity
Our spirituality and beliefs and the things we value also influence our perceptions and the way we interpret the world around us.
Our believes and expectations influence the way we view the world. Our maturity in spiritual things, therefore, also impacts our view of the world.
4. Interests and passions
Our interests and passions influence the way we see the world. See the dreams entry above.
5. Gifts and Talents
Someone who is a gifted mathematician perceives mathematics to be fairly easy compared to everyone else. The talented pianist, singer, basketball player, etc. may still need to spend time finessing their craft. However, things come to them much more quickly than on gifted people.
6. Nature (Personality)
Our nature is our personality or temperament. This also influences the way we see the world. It is obvious that an introvert views the world differently from an extrovert. Also, someone who is a DC (Dominant and Conscientious) on the DISC Personality test sees the world differently from someone who is an SI.
Related Article: The Calling Bias.
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