Even though we are all human beings, we see things differently. Each of us has a very different perspective. Our minds have been shaped differently due to genetics and life experiences. Even someone’s personality can play a role in what they take in from their surroundings.

You could put several people in a room and have them examine a picture or video and you would get many different views on what the image or video was about. We all come from many different walks of life and when presented with something we will tend to see it based on our past experiences.

Examine This Picture

Picture #1. What is your first reaction when seeing this photo? There may be a few ways that you are perceiving this image:

• A man who has just gotten some terrible news
• Someone who is hearing the most beautiful voice sing his favorite song
• A gentleman who is watching a movie in awe
• A person who has just told a secret that he was not supposed to tell
• Someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one

As you can see there is a mix of both positive and negative perceptions. Several people can look at the picture above and give you a completely different answer.

Picture #2. Now, let’s examine this image. Instantly a few perceptions may come to mind:

• A woman who is upset, but is trying to hide it
• A lady who is enjoying the sights of nature
• Someone who is waiting impatiently outside for her loved one
• A lady who is lost in deep thinking
• Someone who is content and has found a moment to relax

Isn’t It Interesting?

There are many ways to interpret what we see in this world and depending on who you ask, you will most likely get a wide variety of answers.

Another interesting thing worth noting is that sometimes our mood can affect what we see. If we are feeling down or pessimistic, we might be drawn to more negative realizations. When we are feeling happy, our conclusions may be more from a positive standpoint.

Communication

Everyone having different viewpoints is another reason why communication is so very important. We can all go through an event in life, and we will describe it differently. We have all had unique experiences that have shaped the way that we see the world.

Without proper communication, we may start to assume that we know about someone or something when in actuality it is far from what we perceive it to be. Looks are very deceiving and therefore we need to rely on communicating so that we can understand what the other is experiencing.

Mini Experiment

Just for fun, examine Picture #1 and Picture #2. What conclusions can you draw from each? Maybe some of you have thought of the perceptions that I mentioned and perhaps you have a very different approach to the meaning behind these pictures!