Perception, Reality & Truth
I wanted to take a second to have a semi-conversation with myself.... and your welcome to read and comment if you wish...
Thinking about perception and Reality and Truth, I had the following thoughts.....
Perception is based on Reality
Reality is based on Perception
Truth is based on Perception
but is Truth based on Reality???
And what the hell is a perception anyways?
Before I continue let me define these three terms... based on the dictionary of course
Perception: The neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected.
Reality: The quality or state of being actual or true.
Truth: A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
So after reading the definitions of Perception, Reality, and Truth... I ask myself the following question.
Truth which is a statement that can be proven or is "accepted" as true... who is it that must accept something for it to be true? Is it a group of people or one person? A really damn vague definition.. thank you dictionary!
Then we have the word Reality which is the quality or state of being actual or (proven or "accepted") Jeez... no wonder philosophy has never been my subject... all they do is argue about words all day long.
Then we have perception... which is the neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected. So does this mean that when I perceive something and I interpret something and then "I" or a group of my friends accepts this interpretation it makes it true? Then if I take this truth (which is self evident.. I know I know.. bad pun) and I decide to live with it.. then does that make it my reality?
So then per my above statement "Perception is based on Reality"... Reality is what I make it... and my perceptions are based off of it.
And "Reality is based on Perception" is equally true because as I stated in the above paragraph, if I or a group of friends decide that something is true... then we can make it our reality.
And then we have "Truth is based on perception" This one is more difficult and more controversial, but I believe that the world is based on perceptions... and whatever we perceive becomes our truth... so if you don't agree.. let me know :) But I'm guessing that the major argument here would be that just because we perceive something to be true does not always make that true... and I agree with that statement... but once again, who decides what's true or not? You? Me? A group of us? or is it a bunch of scientists/philanthropists/psychologists etc.. sitting somewhere deciding what's true or not? Take this for a scenario... A guy kills someone... to the majority that's a truth... but to that guy, it may be his perception that he helped them to a better place. Therefore would his perception not also be valid... now I'm not arguing right or wrong.. that's a moral road I don't wanna cross.
So then we come to "Is Truth based on Reality???" Well... I don't even know what to say... Reality is what we make of it... whatever our perceptions are.. and truth would be one part of that? right or wrong? So then I guess this statement would be true as well.
I guess what I'm getting at.. if we boil it all down to a few sentences... you make your own hell.. you make your own heaven... and ONLY YOU can change that... so why not change your perceptions and what you believe is true.. and make a reality where your happy? Quit stressing over piddly bullshit and deal with it. Accept what you have and move on... Only you can motivate yourself to be in a different place... to make where you are a happy place... and if you keep stressing over the small stuff, it makes life harder to live than if you let the stress just roll off your back.
Thanks for talking to me Ray... you've been a real help.
No problem Ray.
Thinking about perception and Reality and Truth, I had the following thoughts.....
Perception is based on Reality
Reality is based on Perception
Truth is based on Perception
but is Truth based on Reality???
And what the hell is a perception anyways?
Before I continue let me define these three terms... based on the dictionary of course
Perception: The neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected.
Reality: The quality or state of being actual or true.
Truth: A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
So after reading the definitions of Perception, Reality, and Truth... I ask myself the following question.
Truth which is a statement that can be proven or is "accepted" as true... who is it that must accept something for it to be true? Is it a group of people or one person? A really damn vague definition.. thank you dictionary!
Then we have the word Reality which is the quality or state of being actual or (proven or "accepted") Jeez... no wonder philosophy has never been my subject... all they do is argue about words all day long.
Then we have perception... which is the neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected. So does this mean that when I perceive something and I interpret something and then "I" or a group of my friends accepts this interpretation it makes it true? Then if I take this truth (which is self evident.. I know I know.. bad pun) and I decide to live with it.. then does that make it my reality?
So then per my above statement "Perception is based on Reality"... Reality is what I make it... and my perceptions are based off of it.
And "Reality is based on Perception" is equally true because as I stated in the above paragraph, if I or a group of friends decide that something is true... then we can make it our reality.
And then we have "Truth is based on perception" This one is more difficult and more controversial, but I believe that the world is based on perceptions... and whatever we perceive becomes our truth... so if you don't agree.. let me know :) But I'm guessing that the major argument here would be that just because we perceive something to be true does not always make that true... and I agree with that statement... but once again, who decides what's true or not? You? Me? A group of us? or is it a bunch of scientists/philanthropists/psychologists etc.. sitting somewhere deciding what's true or not? Take this for a scenario... A guy kills someone... to the majority that's a truth... but to that guy, it may be his perception that he helped them to a better place. Therefore would his perception not also be valid... now I'm not arguing right or wrong.. that's a moral road I don't wanna cross.
So then we come to "Is Truth based on Reality???" Well... I don't even know what to say... Reality is what we make of it... whatever our perceptions are.. and truth would be one part of that? right or wrong? So then I guess this statement would be true as well.
I guess what I'm getting at.. if we boil it all down to a few sentences... you make your own hell.. you make your own heaven... and ONLY YOU can change that... so why not change your perceptions and what you believe is true.. and make a reality where your happy? Quit stressing over piddly bullshit and deal with it. Accept what you have and move on... Only you can motivate yourself to be in a different place... to make where you are a happy place... and if you keep stressing over the small stuff, it makes life harder to live than if you let the stress just roll off your back.
Thanks for talking to me Ray... you've been a real help.
No problem Ray.