Friday, June 29, 2007

Perception vs Delusion?

You know when you've known some people well after a long time, you begin to be able to guess what they'll say about a certain topic or how they'll react to a certain problem or situation? You can just imagine having a conversation about that specific topic or problem with those people and carry on the imaginary conversation in your mind.

How far can we trust our perception?

I've been burned a few times when I perceived something based on my observation. I confronted some people about what I thought as A, yet I was stunned when I found out their sides of the story. My perception changed COMPLETELY!

If something ticks us, surely there's something inside us that makes it that way, don't you think? It's quite hard to get rid of a certain perception once it's mapped out in your brain.

Don't you just hate it when someone says something to you and at first you think of nothing much, but then your brain starts processing it (perceiving it differently?). I've had my shares of condemning that little voice within me that nudges me like that. For example: If someone compliments you, at first you feel happy, but then a second later you start wondering if the person has an ulterior motive in doing so. Then I start beating myself up for managing to think of such an ugly thing. GGGRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

I know that that little voice is there for a reason, but if that little voice comes out as a reaction to something said by someone that's close to us, it makes all the difference in the world. It's normal if people are suspicious about strangers, but it's killing me if I begin to suspect the motives of those people close to me (especially those whom I know have no intention of hurting me). And I begin to wonder whether it's a real, true perception or if it's just a delusion. Or whether it's due to that something inside me that is triggered by what they say.

All in all, I've been asking for discernment. I don't wish to let go of my perception, but I wanna know which is which and I wanna be able to get rid of the false perceptions.

5 comments:

  1. Hi I tend to take people on face value and hope that I'm not disappointed, if Iam then I just shrug my shoulders and think, well a lesson learnt. It hurts but life is too short to worry about disappointments, enjoy it to the full.
    I had a shock on Tuesday when I received a bite, I finished up in hospital thinking that I might die. As you can see I'm at home now feeling a lot better, hence more time to write blogs. But it makes you realise just how important life realy is.
    Enjoy it. Dave

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  2. THX for your comment, Dave!!! I'll remember your wise words. :-)))

    Hope you get well soon and stay healthy there!!!

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  3. Oh boy.. I've had this twice this week and I relate totally!

    I have found I am at my best when i trust my "gut feeling" more than logic or emotions. With logic I can think myself to death.. or explain away anything. With emotions I get all "fuzzy" and muddled as to where the truth is in the situation.

    This week I've reacted twice in anger. The first time was ok. The person was wrong and deserved my anger. Plus I didn't use the anger to lash our or anything - I used the anger to help.

    THe second time.. :-\ I'm not so sure. I think I might have dashed in too soon because I was protecting a friend and more angry for her than for myself. Now I may have hurt someone, not because I was angry - because my friend was angry. I'm still trying to figure out how I got into such a mess and how to get out of it!

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  4. M, GOOD LUCK sorting things out with your friend. I understand what you mean. Sometimes I also wonder how on earth I can get into such a mess with my close friends, even though neither of us really meant it. It just sort of "happened".

    I know I have hurt my close friends and I've apologized to them, but I don't want to have to experience the same thing again. Sometimes you just get bad vibes and you TRULY want to shake off the feeling but it's hard. But I don't want to hurt anybody as it'll hurt me too...so now I'm asking God for discernment. Hopefully I'll be wiser as time goes by.

    Btw, yes, anger is a good thing if it's used to help people.

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