Blog #39--Misperceptions Too Common To Ignore

Blog #39 –Misperceptions Too Common to Ignore, by Jack Tuttle

I have discussed how we perceive things frequently, both in these blogs and in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life.” Each of us has a unique view of the world, making it difficult if not impossible to judge some as correct and others as incorrect on any issue. There are too many variables to classify anyone fairly and accurately.

How we interpret what we perceive is also unique to each of us. In fact, our perception can vary moment to moment and not just person to person. We misperceive many events due to our own variable ways of sensing the world around us. Let me site a few of myriad examples of how this works.

My son Chris played organized baseball from age 7 until college. At eight, he played for a Stars of Tomorrow team where coaches did the pitching. In the first inning of his first-ever game, he caught a soft pop-up near the pitcher’s mound and threw it to first base. The first baseman dropped it, so Chris ran over, picked up the ball and touched first base before the batter got there. It was his first and only unassisted double play.

When I mentioned to him how the play occurred, Chris remembered it differently. I took movies of all his games, so I showed him the video of the play. He still didn’t believe me. He was convinced his memory was accurate, but it was a distortion of reality. It was what he wanted it to be, not what it really was.

A couple years later, his Little League team won its league championship. Chris actually asked me if I thought his team could beat the St. Louis Cardinals. He was too young to know any better, but the fact he made the comparison is revealing. It shows how our egos can exaggerate our abilities and importance far beyond reality.

Speaking of baseball, 2014 was the first year instant replay was permitted extensively in the Major Leagues. Before this past year, arguments between players, coaches and umpires were fairly commonplace. Some turned into fights. But once everyone had to wait until instant replay revealed exactly what happened on a play in question, peace prevailed. There was no longer any need to argue and complain, so most such reactions were eliminated. After all, the umpires were revealed to be correct most of the time, and errors were corrected.

College basketball coaches often complain vociferously if calls don’t go their way. Like baseball managers, they get caught up in the emotion of the situation and see things the way they want them to be. Some replay is permitted in the college game, but it is more limited than in professional baseball. When coaches have a chance to review video after their games, they discover how often the referees are correct. Of course, they may not admit that until their coaching days are over.

Emotions can distort perceptions frequently for all living things. Like I described in my book, each person observing a bank hold-up may describe the perpetrator differently, depending upon the variable amount of fear each feels at the time. I also gave the example of a visitor to my home who looked bigger to me when I felt depressed than when I felt good about myself.

When I was teaching a course in client relations at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, I applied for and won a large monetary grant called an “Instructional Improvement Award” from a large pharmaceutical company. I proposed purchasing video equipment sufficient to help students observe themselves interacting with clients.

I thought I had purchased everything I needed, but one plug-in was too small for the equipment. When I saw this, I reacted emotionally since I had to make another trip to the technology supply store. That reaction distorted the size of the plug-in I needed in my mind, so I asked for one far larger than necessary. I took it home anyway since I was assured it was the only possible alternative, and it was the perfect size.

Our emotions can make things seem much bigger or much smaller than they really are. We can misperceive most everything that goes on around us if our emotions are fluctuating wildly. While it is true our bodies are always looking to find a balance, it is also true we can get out of balance frequently. Knowing and maintaining the proper balance is difficult at best.

Misperceptions occur daily for all of us. It begs the question: when do we perceive things accurately? Without an accurate appraisal of our situation, we cannot judge ourselves or others in any kind of meaningful way. We do it anyway, to our own detriment. But maybe we need to find our true balance before making assumptions about others.

http://dreamtime3.wix.com/jacktuttlebook

Comments and questions can be directed to dreamtime@insight-books.com.