Qn: How do we judge whether one person’s perception is more “true” or “false” than the other? Is it even possible?
Human beings, more often than not, are inclined to perceive the things we see, heard, taste, feel or smell whether we are aware of it or not.
Look at the picture and observe.
Person A: It’s a durian.
Person B: It’s a fruit with unique odor.
Person C: Durian, I hate it. It smells bad & taste yucky!
Me: Nom nom nom. I LOVE IT! Too bad, I’m fasting :(
From the scenario above, we can see that all of the respondents are aware of what they see and some further explained the taste and smell of the durian. This is called perception because the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment has taken place. The only difference is the various responses given by the respondents.
Based on the answers given, all of the respondents are able to recognize the durian, but due to the previous experience of person B, C and I of encountering the fruit, we are able to further interpret our perception of durian compared to person A. Person C and I in particular, have conflicting perception regarding the taste and smell of the durian.
So, whose perception is true?
From my point of view, I believe that durian tastes delicious and it doesn’t smell as bad as person B has perceived. If so, why are durians not allowed in the hotel? One obvious reason is the smell. That is to say, at this point my perception is indeed false.
But do their perceptions matter?
In this case, I would say no because perception differs according to individuals as people have different expectations. If someone who hasn’t eaten durian saw that signboard, he/she might assume that durian smells bad. This is because he/she may have perceived it as it is prior to eating one as according to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), 'We see things not as they are but as we are'. This implies that the understanding of durian is not based on reality but it is shaped by our own personal preconceived notions. Conversely, durian lovers might share similar view as mine.Therefore, perception isn’t necessarily true or false. We can only expect people to agree with us if we share common view and identical expectations. Otherwise, people are entitled to their point of view and perception as individuals see things differently.
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