The sum of our perception is shaped by the sum of our experiences…
I understand that the world doesn’t look like I think it does – there are no colours, mere reflections of light waves unabsorbed by tangible objects … even then, tangible objects are not so tangible … they are me merely compositions of elements – atoms – protons, neutrons and electrons with space between them …
Nothing is as I ‘see’ it.
And when someone is looking at the same thing that I am, when we are looking at exactly the same reflection of colour – and the same chemical composition … we both see something different …
Individual perceptions are based on individual experiences…
I saw only the young woman in this picture…
I don’t know why it took a more detailed drawing, that highlighted only the older woman, for the second face to became apparent … I suspect that my image of ‘old woman’ doesn’t accord with the woman in this illustration – my brain searches for associated images in the ‘old woman’ catalogue and fails to find a match …
Even now, as I look again, I find it difficult to construct …
Will this change as I get older? Would this change if I reacquaint myself with Russian fairytales or Aesop’s fables (both have a clear stereotype)? Would this change if I trained myself to see the old woman on a regular basis?
So I don’t ‘see’ the old woman … because of the limited number of experiences in life that would allow my brain to construct a category that accords with this image provided.
What else am I not ‘seeing’?
How else is my limited experience changing my perception?
Experience broadens perception …
… how much experience is needed to see what is?
