Differences In Perception - A Stupid Bet

There are many fights and arguments that start from differences in perception.  Whether it is the line-of-sight, angle, or bias, we have differing views.  These can cause reasonable people to take starkly different positions on a subject.  While those are honest differences, they are also essential to note.  Sometimes an argument can be avoided by one of the parties looking at the issue from a different perspective.  We must realize these differences exist and work with them rather than digging in our heels.

Perspective has a more significant impact on our decisions and positions than most expect.  We think we see things how they are and can be adamant about it.  However, we all have obstructions and blind spots that can lead us astray.  We also have assumptions and biases that we do not always recognize.  Those can get us into foolish situations where we trust our perspective too much.  Those differing perspectives can lead to substantial differences in perception.  The wise approach is to assess other views and embrace our limits.  That approach allows us to see things more clearly.

The story shared in this episode is a master class in how our perspective can color our response to a situation.  Vision and the physical world are just the tip of the iceberg for this lesson.  We can see all manner of situations, from brainwashing to assumptions to bigotry, that lead us in the wrong direction.  We sometimes even preach to others about their blind spots while overlooking ours.  Unfortunately, there is no 360-degree view available for a single person.   Therefore, we must rely on others to help craft a complete and realistic view of any situation.

If you like this season, you will probably like Scott Adams' book, "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life."