sphere of interpretation

Life as we know it
takes place in a sphere.
A sphere of our own making.
Seldom do we catch a glimpse
of the world outside this sphere.
Interpretation happens too quickly.
So I call it a sphere of interpretation.
 

Part One:  I have a theory. We frequently mis-perceive the intentions of others ..and when we do, we generally err on the side of malfeasance. But we are multi-dimensional beings. There are so many reasons why we act the way we do. Most of the time they're hidden from view. Settling on one reason too quickly can be a source of misunderstanding and conflict. I believe choosing the more malicious of possibilities is learned. After I presented my theory at a workshop on defensiveness ..I was told by a group of educators that the theme of so much literature children read involves something like “the wicked prince secretly conspired to kill his sibling rivals for the throne.” The message kids come away with is .. beware! Safe as it may sound ..there is a downside. Misperception can be cause for alarm and defensiveness. Compound misperception is a source of stress. We live in a sphere of chronic anxiety. Our leaders know this. It can also be a source of deception. But that’s another story. Neuroscience informs us that vision is selective and verbal communication probabilistic. Memory plays a significant role in binding visual and verbal cues into a ‘percept’ of ‘why and what-for’. Past history fills-in what’s hidden from view. They tell us about two-thirds of what we see and hear at any given moment is not what’s in front of us, but rather what memory supplies.. It compensates for the shortcomings of our senses and gives our perception the appearance of seamlessness. But memory is a faulty and imperfect guide to perception. And because it makes everything appear so seamless, we’re not always aware of our own contribution to everyday encounters. Continued here ~> [ Part Two ]