re: Surreal picture from Neyland yesterday

quote:

---

Perception is fact.

---

"Perception is reality."

I'm being picky on that quote because fact and reality are two different things. You and I can debate facts and maybe come to a meeting of the minds but it's much harder when perception is involved.

For example, I see a blue dog on my way to work and have a bad day. Then I see a blue dog and someone dies. I see that damn blue dog again and some foolish hunter accidentally shoots the backside of my car. Now my perception has shifted -- that damn blue dog brings bad luck every time I see it -- and that perception is now my reality.

You won't be able to debate rationally with me because that blue dog has been there each time these bad things have happened. I now KNOW that dog is bad luck and I don't care if you don't believe me.

At this point, I won't care if you present me with all the facts in the world about it (my perception of the world/my personal reality has been changed). What you have to do now is figure out how to change my perception to meet your reality and in this case what most of us would consider reality (blue dogs are fine, you just had a series of coincidences).

Convincing someone that their perception/reality is wrong is far harder than convincing them that their facts are wrong.