It's All About Perception

We’re all just one massive science experiment.

In psychology and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of getting, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information. It includes the collection of data from sense organs through to the interpretation made by the brain. The entire technical definition is quite fascinating to me. There are 7+ billion human beings on this planet alone who all perceive our world differently. This doesn’t include animals, plants, and other life itself. When you take a step back and remember this simple fact, it helps put some perspective on who we are and how we act as human beings.

When you think about it, we’re all just one massive science experiment. If you constantly feed your body negative thoughts, accept toxic relationships, and accept bad habits you see poor results. If you practice self-care, drink water, and eat good food you see more positive results. It’s all about feeding your body the ingredients to perform well. When you do this, you literally change the chemical make-up in your brain and you perceive things differently. This simple idea has significantly helped me in my personal life. The way I perceive emotions has helped push past toxic habits that were threatening my future success. What used to be a 6-pack of beer and a big-mac has turned into homemade meals and a strict workout program. What used to be constant social anxiety and fear of the unknown has turned into self-motivation and an urge to try new things. If we are just one big science experiment, shouldn’t we be giving your body the chemicals it needs to succeed? Of course we aren’t all perfect and we all have vices that we aren’t willing to give up; however, small improvements over time can go a long way. Right now, I can’t wait to workout because it makes me feel good. When I watch my calories and eat good food, it makes me feel good. It’s transforming the way I think, feel and act. These small changes in my life has helped everything from my general life anxiety to my work ethic. It’s amazing what a few positive changes can do.

I’ve always believed that understanding psychology and how our brain works is unbelievably overlooked. When you start to understand how your own brain works your ability to show empathy and a new way of thinking is heightened. This is why some of the brightest and most influential people in the world perceive the world differently. Sometimes, a brilliant CEO will recognize what will be a huge success in 100 years because they perceive things in a different light. A writer will take a brilliant idea they have and publish it for the world to see. An economist will shatter previously understood ideas in order to put new theories forward. How we as individuals perceive the world is uniquely human.

In all, it’s important to remember that everyone perceives the world differently. Next time you’re in an argument, try to consider how the other person is perceiving it. Next time you’re pissed off at your coworker, remember to think about their point of view. Next time you feel anxious, consider what’s going on inside your body to make you feel this way and try to change it. Yes, I know it’s not this simple. All I know is the way I think about perception and our bodies chemical makeup has improved my life in many different ways.

At the end of the day, we’re just one massive science experiment.