Can You Trust Your Perceptions James J Messina

Can You Trust Your Perceptions? James J. Messina, Ph. D.

Could you be on slippery slope of faulty perceptions? Faulty perceptions can impact the way you think, feel & act n It can impair problem solving, decision making, & conflict resolution n Takes brain time to sort out what senses are sending it n

you often may not see the obvious or not so obvious flaws in your perceptions which negatively impact the way you think, feel, and act. n When you are involved in solving problems, making decisions, or resolving conflicts, it is important to be a "critical thinker. “ n This means that you are willing to fully analyze the situation. To do so you must use your five senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. n

Can you trust your own perceptions? Are you sure of what you are seeing or hearing? n What follows are some items which test your visual perceptions. They can be fully explained by understanding the physiological structure of your brain and how your eyes and brain interface. Consider this diagram of the eye and brain connection: n

n Here we have a task which greatly challenges the left and right side of the brain. Try this task a number of times and then try to figure out why it is so difficult to do the task which is being asked, which is simply to say what color you are looking at.

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS

n We make internal assumptions or small choices on what we are allowing our brain to see even though our eyes are seeing the whole picture, our filtering system limits what we actually comprehend or fully understand.

n You can never count on things to be static or literal. There is ambiguity in life and it is important to be willing to accept this fact of life. Things are never as clear as they seem.

n It is sure is important to not let the surrounding circumstance cloud your perceptions about things. Just because every one else in the group in one way, does not mean that the individual with whom you are dealing is the same. It is important to be sure you are not caught up with stereotypes which cloud your perceptions and thinking.

n Sometimes it is important to look at the trees carefully and not just look at the forest. There may be some very important discoveries to be made by the narrow focusing at times.

Do you see the young lady or old woman?

n Going just by your initial impulse or initial judgment, does not give that person a chance to fully demonstrate to you, who that person is and what that person is really about. Remember: looks can be deceiving. n

n You can have preconceived ideas about things but the evidence when it is presented to you can be completely contradictory and not support your preconception or assumptions. It is imperative to test your assumptions, expectations, and preconceptions when dealing with solving problems, making decisions and handling conflicts in your life. .

Do you see 1 or 2 faces or all 3?

n Sometimes you think you really know what it is that you are perceiving to be real. That is until you take a closer look. If you are willing to accept that dialectic reasoning -that is being willing to look at two sides of every situation-is an important skill when solving problems, making decisions or handling conflicts then you will be able to see both the right and left side face as well as the overall face made up from both sides of the picture. Remember you need to see the "whole picture" before you can proceed to take actions on your solutions, decisions, or conflict resolutions n.

Do you see the man playing the horn or a woman’s silhouette?

n When people go about "touting their own horn" or acting in ways which are unseemly or impulsive, it is often hard to see the beauty within them. Are you always in a rush to make a quick assessment of a person on their brusqueness, impulsiveness, or abrasiveness. Or do you take time to get to understand where they are coming from so that you can see the beauty of who they are below the surface they present to you?

n Do you see a rabbit or a duck or both?

n If you only look at the left side of things you will see the duck. But if you are on the right of things you will see the rabbit. Right or left, conservative or liberal, black or white are just perspectives which you bring to the situation. It is imperative to make good decisions, solve problems, and settle conflicts that you are able to set aside your strong biases so that you can get the whole picture into perspective.

n Are you so caught up sometimes with seeing the issues after the fact, that you are only looking at them from behind or do you face your problems head on? Do you take a proactive stance in dealing with life or are you merely reactive?

Do you just see the skull or can you see the woman?

n Do you see a crisis or do you see a challenge? To be a creative problem solver and effective decision maker it is imperative that you fully absorb what it is that you are dealing with so that you can see both the minuses and pluses but also the good and the bad in the situation.

Can You Find 11 Human Faces?

n We If you are having problems finding them, then wake up to the fact that there are many aspects of problems you are solving which you are not picking up. Critical thinking requires you to put a face to the problem and to identify all the faces of the problem involved. n

Is this book looking towards you or away from you?

n To be effective in your life it is important to deal with your problems, issues, conflicts, and decisions head on. If you use all of your senses, are open, look at both sides of the issue, are analytical, identify and question your assumptions and stereotypes, brainstorm, think out of the box, and are organized in your approach to dealing with your issues, then you will be successful

What then do you need to do to be successful in problem solving, decision making, & conflict Resolution? n Use all your senses n Be open, look at both sides of issues n Be analytical, identify & question assumptions & stereotypes n Brainstorm, think out the box! n Be organized in your approach in dealing with the issues

BE OPEN TO REALITY – THE WAY IT IS – RATHER THAN HOW YOU PERCEIVE IT TO BE