This picture is one of my favorite optical illusions. Throws your perception off completely.
Perception is an interesting thing. It varies from visual perceptions, as in the picture, to thought perceptions and everything in between.
The other day, I was Skyping with my grandson Nikolas (the almost three year old). Although he and his little brother and parents live in the same city, we Skype most mornings just to say hi and make silly faces at each other. Love it! Anyway, on this particular morning, Nik persisted in asking his mom to “open the window in the computer” so he could touch me when he said I love you. He didn’t understand why this was not possible. Perception. Nik’s 14 month old brother Elijah tries too look around the corner of the computer to see me if I am out of webcam range. Perception. To those kids, there is no difference seeing me on the screen or having me there in person.
Life is all about perception, real or imagined. And as I said in yesterday’s post, the human mind does not know the difference between something that really happened or something you’ve vividly imagined. That’s why when we perceive something to be so, it is so, even though it may not be. Does that make sense?
Think about it. You have a certain way of doing things – like using the right click button on your mouse to find the options for copy and paste. Then someone (perhaps your know-it-all daughter) comes along and laughs at you because you are not using the CTRL functions for copy and paste. It’s been your perception that your way is the only way. And it’s really hard and awkward to change that perception. Or maybe you’ve asked your husband to pick up something for supper on his way home from work. He comes in with a Burger King bag. Your heart sinks, because you really wanted sushi. His perception of something is quite different than yours.
In the land of creativity, perception is key. Through words, music, dance, acting, painting, design, and all the arts, we are presenting our perceptions to those for whom we create. They are well received by some and criticized by others. It all depends on perception.
I don’t know if I’ve said what I wanted to say in this post.
I guess it’s in the perception of it all.
Inside the Writer 