2012-08-05

ehowton: (Default)

Perception can be an enormous wealth of misinformation if not properly deconstructed. As with many overly-complicated constructs of reality, perception relies upon both logic and feeling. Were it purely one or the other, what we take in could be either dismissed completely or acknowledged as truth - which is what most people do when they take in sensory data - dismiss it completely or acknowledge it as truth. What a foolish and dangerous way to try to skate through life.

If we are aware of any issues in our current behavior, or any shortcomings we may have based upon prior stressors, it would be ill advised to ignore the filter we know must affect our judgement and understanding. Likewise if the information far exceeds the knowledgebase of our scope, forming a definitive opinion would be incalculably harmful.

I ran across this phenomenon when joy-filled people noticed and acknowledged the joy in my own life which contrasted with pessimists who viewed me as perpetually negative. I wondered aloud, "How can this be possible?" And spent many months tearing apart my desires and burdens and attitudes for introspection and, if required, repair. For 15-years my mantra has been, if you're not going to do something with a good attitude don't do it all. Those who are joy-filled understand the re-framing which is required to pull that off while the pessimists argue it with me ceaselessly drawing from years of pessimism to make their point. And both are right of course. joy-filled people will always be filled with joy and pessimists will never find it.

Along the same limes I've been lauded as "compassionate" and "selfless" by some, and "egotistical" and "selfish" by others. I ask you - how can it be both? Perception. Either I am all of those things - essentially all things to all men; Christ incarnate come to walk amongst his flock - or different people have different perceptions based on a whole host of filters they may or may not understand.

At this point, I'll accept either answer.

But only one provides the kind of security which comes from understanding causality, and its not the [livejournal.com profile] ehowton-as-the-jesus one.

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