Perception: 1 a:result of perceiving: observation b:a mental image: concept 2:a capacity for comprehension
(courtesy webster)
Perception is a very amazing thing. Its basically how you see things. Everyone sees the same thing but their mind perceives it differently. I dont only mean the glass-half-full-half-empty thing, it also plays an important part in more complex things. You must have noticed it yourself, how people can see one piece of art as different things etc. etc.
Perception is damn important in things like classification of things (no,this is NOT chem). For eg, my french paper had an article that talked about how scientists are not counting pluto as a planet anymore. This got of thinking, who said what a planet should be like? We didn't get stones from god with rules for calling something a planet, did we? Its all how we think a planet should be, how we observed all the planets an supposed all of them should be.
In the same way, scientists suppose that a planet should be like earth to have life. Thats what they perceive after seeing earth, their only example. But, i dont agree. Maybe there are other conditions for life to exist. Maybe organisms on other planets live on a different gas, have different type of sense organs and can live only in high temperatures.
Ok. I am getting carried away.
But perception does change everything, even personalities. Inferiority complex is when a person perceives himself inferior, thinks lowly of himself (a person can have one even he doesn't know/accept it). Some people think of themselves as being fat, no matter what you say(yes, sam, refering to you). The psychological ink-blot test is based on perception and reveals a lot about how a person thinks.
Its basically about how the same thing looks different to different people. Not how our eyes view it, but how our mind does. This is all shaped by how we are brought up, how we are made to think and what things influence us. Like, a person brought up in a conservative family will be all giggly when talking about sex as compared to a person who is used to talking about it freely.
Its also depends on how receptive we are, how open we are to new things. The more we see, the more ideas we have, the more angles we can see something from. But, it doesn't help he you look at something with a fixed mindset.
All this is what I think and That's perception for you.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Perception changes everything
Put up by Midnight Sun at 7:36:00 PM
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51 things said by people:
True you are.
Perception changes everything. Tattered jeans may be the ultimate in fashion for someone, but might be very low class for another (I think it is very low class. I mean, imagine Priyanka Chopra wearing torn jeans on HT City cover page!! What was she thinking ?? I mean, okay, it might look good to look poor, but I do not think so).
And you know that you're saying I'm not fat because you're my friend. I mean, Kavir said I'm not fat too but then again compared to him, I probably am thin. So you see, both of you were influenced by certain stuff.
And you know that I do not say I'm fat just because. I say it because ... look at me!!!! I am huge!!!!! I will never look good in skinny jeans!!! I do not look good in anything that is not baggy!!!!! *Sob*
P.S. I like Fire Wings.
Are you suggesting,scientists are stupid fools and they need to take lessons from school -going children?
P.S.-I came to your blog via a link on a blog I used to frequent.
See true objectivity is required by science.One is asked to presume nothing and whether life requires similar conditions to earth or not majority of them didn't think that it did before Sagan's death and quite recently great strides have been made in order to try to define what is alive but it is quite difficult to do so, one might as well imagine the handicap they are facing. They are not looking at earth to explain extraterrestrial life they are searching for it to explain terrestrial life.
By the way florence, many a wise man has taken advice from a child but of course you have to be wise to realise that.
Oh yes Florence, I certainly think scientists can sometimes overlook the simplest things. They might cook up algorithms, make scratchy drawings, but sometimes, it is what a kid can tell you.
If you're a scientist, well, boo to you!!
Well,I am not a scientist ,I am just a teacher at a school in Sydney.Everyone,except the person to whom the question was addressed to, answered the question.
It seems,Indians are united. Unity is fine, but what about manners?
Also it seems at least the 2 individuals who've commented other than me are very arrogant,tell me,even you may have a lot of brains,but why do you talk as if you are an ultimate authority on this subject?
The point raised by me was that it was not that scientists were only considering planets which are similar to earth,they are considering other planets also.(yeah,other than all those super earths)
Scientists ,I presume humans,so they are not above any errors.They are not so foolish as to ignore such a simple point.The blog author apparently wrote that point being uninformed about the matter.Well,be happy Anuj ,Espera and Arwen with the knowledge that you are wise and omniscient and of course,everyone else is foolish.I am always ready for an open-minded discussion,but that can't take place if you think that person in front of you is a nobody.Answer now.
yes, i AM suggesting scientists can be big fool some times, and what the hell will YOu do about it??
hah
loser
And quit talking to yourself...Anuj
Who the hell is deleting his/her own comments??
What do you mean by "And quit talking to yourself...Anuj", I only do that when I am alone not on public forums. By the way florence I hope you are able to comprehend the nature of objectivity I am not challenging you I am merely correcting you,life like science should be a self correcting process-you should have guts to admit that you were wrong, unlike religion arguing the same point over and over again. By the way I didn't defend her I merely corrected her and your point of view too, for your 'perception' is fixed at 2 extremes.
Well if you want to delegate yourself into a "nobody" then it is really not mine or anybodies fault I just think that you need to be careful how you reproach people,it may backfire badly in real life, and by the way how exactly does us being Indians come into this matter? As for as I am concerned I have denounced my nationality, my unit of identification is our species and our humble pale blue dot.
By the way,both of you(espera & arwen) when you are trying to condemn someone be as polite as possible, even with intolerant strangers with racist tendencies,it always works.
Well Anuj,far from being a racist,I myself don't have any views on such moronic discrimination.In intellectual circles ,Indians are generally considered to be the most polite and most humble people.It was an unpleasant change of perception for me.You may not be knowing but Indians are world-renowned for their brainpower.Well your last comment sets you apart from at least Espera and Arwen.
I agree with Florence. Except for this: "Indians are generally considered to be the most polite and most humble people."
Dunno where you got that from.
Anuj isn't arrogant. Espera, maybe. As for Arwen, I doubt she'd be able to follow this conversation/argument.
Pluto isn't a planet anymore because it doesn't fulfill the definition of a planet.
The 2006 definition of "planet" by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that, in the solar system, a planet is a celestial body that:
* is in orbit around the Sun,
* has sufficient mass so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
* has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit.
Pluto fulfills the first two criteria.
Pluto is now a dwarf-planet. I might remind you, Arwen, that the IAU consists of 9785 members, all of whom are professional astronomers and most of whom hold PhDs. They are the best in their profession and questioning their decisions makes you look like an idiot.
The arguments you put forward, "Maybe there are other conditions for life to exist... " Do you think scientists haven't thought about that? For carbon-based lifeforms to survive, earth-like conditions must be present.
By Earth-like conditions, I mean availability of water, a suitable environment and a source of energy.
Ammonia has been found on Mars, but there is no evidence of ammonia-based lifeforms. Imagining stuff can get you only so far; then you have to prove your statements, and that's the hard part. It's easy enough sitting back on your armchair and criticizing the work the scientists do, next time take a moment and understand why and how they do it, and appreciate the difficulties they go through. Perception is one thing, blind stupidity is quite another.
Oh ya, sources-->
Wikipedia
dictionary.com
iau.org
astronomy.com
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov
answers.yahoo.com
oh nerd man...sorry, abcd(whatever)...quit preaching, and why do u think i won't follow the argument??
it isn't about wether pluto is a planet or not... my message is(if u've read carefully) that how it matters what WE think planets are...no one set the criteria for somthing being a planet.
and I do know how stupid earthlings percieve a planet to be...you don't need to tell me.....
It's me you dolt. ABCD is my alt account.
OK, to answer your question.
"no one set the criteria for somthing being a planet."
Wrong. There are people much better placed than you to decide the criteria for planets.
"it isn't about wether pluto is a planet or not..."
Yes it is. You percieve Pluto to be a planet, but you aren't sure what a planet is. That's not perception, that's stupidity.
"Who the hell is deleting his/her own comments??"
Florence.
Well,finally someone got the point I was making.And in Australia,it is commonly perceived that Indian scholars are somewhat higher beings.
Well I did get the point you were making but I didn't want to alienate myself anymore than I already have.......
Florence, perhaps, you might read my comment again. I didn't say that kids know everything, are superior to most people or can explain the universe better. I didn't even say that scientist ARE stupid fools (what you thought was being suggested).
But you have to agree that there are times when something very simple can be overlooked. I did not even mean that what Arwen is proposing is true. Actually, Arwen, if scientists have given planets a name, then they WOULD have the right to decide what all that particular name is applicable to.
I got your point, but don't you think that planets existing is a different thing and calling them by that name - planets - is a different thing? I mean, you call a person 'female' based on a criteria that you set when you think up of the name.
It probably seems like I'm wavering from my initial stand, I guess.
And Florence, no offence, I certainly hope I'm not arrogant. Arwen was a bit rude because she thought that you might be an alternate identity of Anuj. And yeah, I sorta wondered that too.
"If you're a scientist, well, boo to you!!"
Let me make this clear, I do not think scientists are stupid. They are allowed to make mistakes too. Your comment seemed to me like you thought that scientists are beyond any fault.
"Indians are generally considered to be the most polite and most humble people."
Indians are not the saints that they're made out to be. They are admittedly amazingly racist. Amazingly, because, you'd think that having faced racism themselves, they might not be racist with other people. Maybe I should 'we' because I'm an Indian too, but oh well, I try not to be arrogant and certainly hope I am not racist!!!
What do you mean by "Arwen was a bit rude because she thought that you might be an alternate identity of Anuj. And yeah, I sorta wondered that too.", I don't exactly go around the internet masquerading as Carl Sagan(I would like to), please I do not keep any 'alternate' identities at all, change that misconception will you?
Anuj, you know what I mean. You DO go around masquerading like a hundred different people. In case that was a thing you didn't want to be put up online, oh well whatever, never mind. They still don't know WHICH one is you and which one not.
wow. Amazing. 1 post an you're all muddled. Anuj, you DO pretend to be other people. Not my fault i doubted you. Actually, i still do....
Actually it's good that you doubt me for belief in anything without questioning it is tantamount to stupidity. However I assure you that I don't romp around the cyber world as Carl Sagan or "like a hundred different people", frankly as admirable these chameleon like qualities are, I am totally incapable of performing such a feat, I assure you this and from the bottom of my limbic system I am sorry for any inconveniences that have caused.
Muddled? I think not. We're just amazed at your stupidity.
Tell me Aditya, does saying something that can make Subohi feel bad give you joy? Like, immense pleasure?
So she is wrong sometimes. Is it utterly necessary to refer to her as, wait ... 'dolt', 'idiot', 'stupid'?
Don't you think it sorta rude ? And uncalled for?
Yeah yeah, you DO have freedom of speech. Don't mind me, go ahead.
Too right it does. It gives me immense pleasure in pointing out the obvious. =)
Aditya the only thing I have to say is that when an individual has some power or freedom the use or misuse of it is the absolute key. Sure go ahead insult her all you want, but please do it in a tactful and tasteful manner. The idiot in question should actually feel good from your critique on him/her
You're right. I should be more subtle... I'll have to practise.
Oh ya, and before you go thanking everyone with your Southern Utah grammar style, let me make it clear that subtlety or no subtlety, I still think you're everything Jahangir made you out to be.
Um, subtlety is something I lack too. And I think you have certainly more subtlety that me.
But don't you think that your comments were this in-your-face almost because you seemed to have something against her?
Maybe I am wrong.
Maybe.
What I mean is, your comments were infused with a certain irritation that doesn't stem from this post alone.
I probably am wrong anyway. It is just an observation I happened to make.
Wasn't that obvious? Guess who set this up?
Just kidding I have nothing against anyone of them, I just find this entertaining.
Anuj, explain.
Read above comment.
Um, message from Subohi (seeing that she is unable to come and comment herself):
"WHAT IS THIS??? A FREAKING CHAT ROOM??? YOUR COMMENTS HAVE STOPPED BEING RELATED TO THE POST YOU'RE COMMENTING ON. AND ADITYA, WHO ASKED YOU TO COME AND COMMENT ON MY BLOG ANYWAY?"
Um, the words are not the exact ones she might have used. The meaning, however, remains unchanged .
Looool @ Subohi. I'd like to see her stop me.
Do I have to explain myself? Is it really that necessary? No I will not do so, I am leaving you humans to your own devices. Sampoorna step back and think about it and you will get it, as for the rest of you my only reply is ;)(I am listening to too much Bon Jovi lately)
Well OK then, you humanoid.
Anuj, if you mean what I think you mean, um, that's not very, um ... okay alright, it IS entertaining!! It is goddamned freaking entertaining.
Aditya, you'd like to see her come and stop you? Okay, that is an open invitation.
Problem is, I don't think she'd do what I'd suggest her to do if she really wants to stop you. In fact, I can see the very words she'd use.
"I'm not going to that much trouble to stop that bloke. It's not like I care."
On second thoughts, she wouldn't use 'bloke'. And maybe she doesn't use 'like' as often as I do too.
Ok, all this means exactly what sam said, but i've put it a bit more subtly....
Firstly, quit leaving comments NOT related to the post
Secondly,Write what u want to write, don't keep deleting your comments
Thirdly,Aditya is a:
buffoon,idiot,blockhead,epitome of stupidity, the middle man in the organ trade and a guy who can't teach me english cause i'm better at it than him.
Oh ye, i'm happy i wrote this post cause i've discovered some new things abt ppl
Anuj:
(a) he talks to himself
(b) he's freaky(i'm sorry but 99% of guys i know do NOT have dozens of alt accounts)
Sam:
(a)she says something else on the phone and comments something else on the blog
(b)she actually IS fat
Adi
(a) he's all of the things i wrote in the earlier comment
(b)he's a part time nerd
(c)he's seriously obsessed with me.
Part-time nerd, full-time geek; whichever you prefer.
Oh ya, atleast I'm just the middleman in the organ trade... Unlike some other people I know of.
And about the 'I'm obsessed with you' part; it's true I'm obsessed with ablutophobics.
See I don't talk to myself well I do that only when I am alone, which is roughly 90% of the day (including sleep I think that most of our dreams are like conversations with our sub conscious through vivid imagery or abstract images or conversations). I run what I call emulations in my head they are nothing but imaginary friends taken to whole new level, they exist in me, in my control.
So technically I don't talk to myself rather I imagine talking to different people and picture conversations in my head quite like what an author does while writing a book. So I don't talk to myself and I am trying to cut down on it by the way, it's driving me crazy.
However I assure you that I don't romp around the cyber world as Carl Sagan or "like a hundred different people", frankly as admirable these chameleon like qualities are, I am totally incapable of performing such a feat, I assure you this seriously I do.
As for me being freaky who said I wasn't? Everyone of us is made up of carbon,nitrogen and a dozen other molecules combined in a unique ways which boggle my humble mind, wouldn't you call that freaky? Or the fact that we are conscious from a bunch of complex biological transistors. Hence all of us are freaks, it's just perception.
And aditya I like the refinement ablutophobia-nice touch a tad childish but still it's much better than last time. Good try! I seriously advise you to be more eloquent next time Arwen, seriously calling people fat is stupid-no offense.
Signing of
Your Space faring correspondent
Anuj
Oh yeah by the way it should be signing off, sorry it's due to the usual comedy of errors which is my typing. I think that I need to learn how to type. Despite spending most of my life on my computer I am still not proficient in it.
I appreciate your input, Anuj, about Florence. But you know what, I don't think so. A very consistent error is very apparent. Something which I wouldn't make. Something very basic and unless it is intentional, does not support your theory.
Whoa, some discussion there!
@Subohi, since she only wants comments related to the post: True, no word has a hard-and-fast definition, however much the dictionary might try to convince you otherwise. But someone's gotta decide what they mean or how are we supposed to know what's being talked about when the word's used? And who better to do that than people like scientists, who've been studying the objects referred to by that particular term all their lives?
@espera: i do think that second comment of yours wasn't exactly the height of courtesy.
@anuj: since all of us are freaky anyway, what we mean when we say 'freaky' is 'freakier'.
@aditya: If you were really obsessed with ablutophobics, you'd do a 180-degree turn and go after some real ones.
I am not 'freakier', I am a perfectly normal, healthy human being (I am going to change this status soon to cyborg but that's besides the point). My point is that none of us are "normal" anyway and that I am not more abnormal than the normal average of abnormality present in our species.
Nature generates diversities, we are all different, unique solutions to the engineering problem called life. In the end it is not somebodies else's "perception" that defines you, it is your own view about yourself which matters. After all this self awareness is what makes us unique over machines--currently.
Hence, I am not subscribing to your opinion, I hope that the above argument has been satisfactory.
Regards to willy
Anuj
anuj, u are freaky, and i called sam cause she wouldn't let me call her thin, and she doesn't mind
adi, ure a idiot
sam, what errors r u talking abt?
prachi, i agree with u
ppl, leave the freakin post alone
Like I care?
Oh yeah I just realized I am a freak after all.
I am an android from the future who has been sent back in time through a revolutionary device which my original creator created. Of course I am based on him. I have unique humor capabilities which mainly stem from my emotions module, which does tend to short circuit once a while. Depressingly, I can't repair it as the parts haven't been invented-yet but my creator shall do it with HAL his groundbreaking machine which is NOT a copy of the HAL 9000 in any way humans, also his second greatest creation Carl Sagan 10^10^100 is in no way the resurrected Dr. Sagan, who gave you that ridiculous idea?
Taking over the world and loving it
Signing off
The emperor of your mind (the world shall be added later and then the universe muhahaha)
Anuj
Regards to willy. Lol.
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