Perception Through Observation

I have been thinking a lot about perceptions and our own animal instincts lately. As humans, we perceive different things about different animals through observation. For example, we know that tigers are ferocious animals that are strong and have an extremely powerful presence. What are the characteristics that cause us to have these perceptions? We have all probably seen images of a tiger being aggressive. We have the perceptions that we do because we have all seen the physical strength of this animal but we also realize that there is an animalistic aggressive nature to the tiger as well. We live in a society where we understand that we cannot sit in a tiger cage and expect it not to eat us.

It’s not really a secret, since the basis of learning is usually through observation. Our curious nature as humans and our ability to adapt and learn has allowed us to tie our perceptions to what we see with our own eyes. Our brains associate certain qualities to certain traits and then we impart those thoughts and file them away as “knowledge”. This is how our brains create perceptions. They are learned through observation and association. So how do our brains create illusions or even disillusions?

The illusions come from the emotions that we tie to our perceptions. When we feel fear, we project it into our self-image. When we feel brave, we seem to exude confidence. It’s all within our own minds though. There are many times that I have felt absolutely terrified, yet others around me seemed to think I was calm and confident. I realized that I have the ability to control what others see. The real challenge is making yourself see and perceive the same image that you project.

People who know me, know that one of my ultimate self goals is to never hurt others. I do not like to project negativity or intentionally harm others. I understand that pain is inevitable in life and that I most likely will hurt people throughout my life, however, the difference is when the heart feels the intent or not. I used to be full of fear. I was scared of the judgement of others and when I gained strength, I became scared of the damage that I could inflict on others. I know deep down that the person I am does not desire pain, even if my own perception of myself is different at the time.

Everything always leads back to the elimination of fear. True power lies inside all of us and so does the ability to make choices. We are not tigers, we just want to be like them.