We like to think that we see reality itself. We like to think that there is truth and that we are capable of grasping it. But what we see is influenced by our tool of perception: our minds. And our minds are as subjective as tools come. Our minds perceive based on our unique experiences. And no two minds perceive alike.
What we see and know can only be understood through metaphor. Language attaches symbols to underlying meanings. It is our best tool for transferring information to one another. And yet, language is imprecise and a crude tool.
Words can capture a mere fraction of the emotional richness of a bride walking down the aisle of her wedding day or of a father witnessing the birth of his first child. Words do not do justice to the awe inspired by seeing the Grand Canyon in person. Even pictures are lossy forms of information transfer for experiencing the Grand Canyon.
Science attempts to remove the subjectivity inherent in our perception in order to converge on objective truth. The scientific method offers a way for us to remove as much error from our perception as possible. Through large sample size and repeatable experiments, we strive to find predictability in an unpredictable world.
And yet, science also shows us that the act of observing something alters its state. To check the pressure of a tire, we let out some air. To see an object, we cause it to reflect the light that shines upon it. Our pursuit for objectivity plunges us back into subjectivity.
Even if there is an objective reality, our perception is subjective. We do not experience an unfiltered flow of data from the world. How could we? There is too much data. According to Daniel Coyle in The Talent Code, the conscious mind processes 40 pieces of information per second while the unconscious mind processes 11 million pieces of information per second.
So what are we to make of this? Should we write off any possibility of pursuing truth? Perhaps we can let go of the idea of truth. Perhaps we can shift our perspective from being grounded in the world to being grounded in ourselves. Perhaps the idea of subjective perception can open our minds to the diversity of experiences and perceptions that surround us.
Perhaps instead of attacking others for being wrong, we can get curious about how others see the world differently from us. Perhaps instead of thinking we have all the right answers, we can consider that there are many right answers—one for each person in all their unique individuality. Perhaps instead of thinking we should conform to one prescriptive way of life, we can let our own authentic selves shine.
“Each of us is a completely unique creature and that, if we are ever to give any gift to the world, it will have to come out of our own experience and fulfillment of our own potentialities, not someone else’s.”
— Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
