Perceptual Awareness

(A number in parenthesis indicates a cited source at the end)

What Our World Needs – Perceptual Awareness

Understanding Others More Accurately

          Many of us are becoming aware that our world is getting smaller in the sense that; one, we are all more aware of events happening all over the globe, and two, the behavior and actions of even an individual often impact us all. “What a small world” is beginning to take on a whole new meaning. Indeed, people and cultures are more aware of each other but oftentimes our awareness is flawed.

          Being aware of others who are foreign or different than ourselves does not in itself mean that we have accurate perceptions or a true understanding of those people. In fact, the way we perceive others is usually tainted with misperceptions. Perceiving others inaccurately can be likened to unknowingly blowing air into a fire as our misperceptions of others usually enhance our problems and conflicts. When we make the effort to perceive others accurately, to understand them as they understand themselves, it is a substantial step toward improving global human relations and can serve to minimize our insecurities, fears, conflicts, even the likeliness of war.

          To have a strong understanding of perceptual awareness it is important to discuss first why we should care, then, what influences our perceptions of others, how those perceptions influence us, and finally how we can try to overcome our misperceptions in order to learn to understand and respect each other enabling us to be more effective in resolving the conflicts of our time so we can live together peacefully.

Do Our Misperceptions Have Anything to Do With Our Conflicts?

          Why should we even care to put forth the effort needed to accurately understand and perceive others? Consider the following statements: Muslim women are oppressed, Americans are greedy, Muslims are terrorists, American women are easy. Think about how you would feel if one of these statements was applied to you. You might feel defensive, misunderstood, upset, or even angry. All of those statements are common stereotypes, or preconceived, inaccurate, and rigid beliefs about individuals or a group of people.(1) Stereotypes influence and distort our perceptions. The irony here is that we tend to get upset when others jump to conclusions about our behavior or misperceive us while we accept our own misperceptions of others as fact.

          Misperceptions often create negative thoughts and emotions (e.g., hate, dislike, fear, anger, etc.). Negative thoughts and emotions in turn, often lead to negative beliefs and behaviors (e.g., arrogance, aggression, discrimination, etc.). Now, it is not too difficult to see that when we direct this negative behavior toward those we have misperceived (and we usually see ourselves as justified in doing so due to our negative emotions) it only serves to fuel our conflicts.

          Trying to accurately understand others is not only important on a person to person level. Indeed, governments have avoided nuclear war in large part because they were able to accurately understand the other side. 1962 was the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. government and at the time President Kennedy believed that the Soviet Union had introduced nuclear missiles into Cuba, which they believed to be a threat to American citizens. The then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Kennedy were seriously considering the use of nuclear weapons against Cuba. There was a real potential for all out nuclear war.(2)

          The U.S. government had received a message from the leader of the Soviet Union at the time, Nikita Khrushchev, which read “If you guarantee you won’t invade Cuba we’ll take the missiles out.”(3) The U.S. perceived this as a good message. Several hours later another message from Khrushchev was received which read, “If you attack Cuba we are prepared to confront you with masses of military power.” This message was perceived as bad and seemed to contradict the good message that had been received only hours before.(4)

          The U.S., unsure what to do, was facing the final moments before they would have to make a decision whether or not to go to war. What is interesting is that an advisor to Kennedy, Tommy Thompson, was a former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow and had actually lived with Khrushchev.(5) When Kennedy declared to his advisors that he no longer viewed negotiation as an option, Tommy Thompson disagreed.

          Thompson urged the President to respond to the good message and let the Soviet Union take the missiles out of Cuba. What made Thompson think that war was still avoidable? How could he be so sure? Thompson understood Khrushchev and he took the time to empathize with the Russian leader, putting himself in Khrushchev’s skin in order to understand his motivations and where he was coming from. In doing that, Thompson realized that the most important thing for Khrushchev was to be able to say to his people that he had saved Cuba and stopped an invasion.(6)

          Thompson was right. The point here is made by the then secretary of defense Robert McNamara when he said, “We must try to put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes just to understand the thoughts that lie behind their decisions and their actions.”(7) In this situation, both leaders involved demonstrated sincerity in their desire to avoid serious conflict and they were able to avoid a war in large part because someone made the effort to try to truly and accurately understand the other side.

          If perceiving people accurately can help to avoid conflict and war, what can happen when we have misperceptions? A study published in October 2003 found that, “In the run-up to the war with Iraq and in the post war period, a significant portion of the American public has held a number of misperceptions that have played a key role in generating and maintaining approval for the decision to go to war.”(8) American misperceptions have played a key role in generating and maintaining approval to go to war. As comforting and easy as it may be for us Americans to say that there is nothing we can do or it is out of our hands, we the American public, have to hold ourselves somewhat responsible.

What Influences Our Perceptions of Others?

          How we form perceptions is an interrelated process of which our environment, beliefs, values, thoughts, and behaviors all play an important role. To get a good understanding of what influences our perceptions let’s start with a little about how our environment shapes our beliefs and behaviors. From the youngest age we begin to observe and emulate the people around us, our parents, siblings, and teachers. As we get older we begin to pay more attention to people we view as important and influential such as friends, movie stars and others.(9)

          It is part of human nature that we learn a great deal from and are shaped by and through observing others. What behaviors are acceptable, what is normal, what is right and wrong, what is beautiful, fashionable, and much more. We live in a world full of people, images, TV programs, and advertisements. Our perceptions are also influenced by our environment and what we have learned from being in our environment. For example, in interacting with others we subconsciously form first impressions of others based on physical appearance, behaviors, facial expressions, and much more. Our first impressions of others have a tremendous influence on how we perceive them. Negative first impressions though are usually much more difficult for people to overcome than positive first impressions.

          First impressions come from more than just personal interactions. We can form first impressions of others based on written or verbal information as well as the news. The TV is a good example of how a lot of our inaccurate perceptions are formed. It is now known that the process of repeating an affirmation, or a simple positive statement, over long periods of time (e.g. several weeks) can modify or even create new beliefs and behaviors.(10) If repetition of a positive statement can change our beliefs, could the same be true of the repetition of images, advertisements, and news of which much is negative?

          If you regularly watch the news and you repeatedly see images of violence and war in the Middle East you likely will begin to associate violence and war with the Middle East. If you continue to see these images frequently and for extended periods of time it is likely that you may begin to believe the Middle East is a dangerous place where bombs are going off and people are killing each other. This is in fact an inaccurate perception of the Middle East. While there is war and violence that occurs in the Middle East, the majority of people living there experience life as usual. Some places may even be more calm and safe than some American or western cities.

          Other factors that influence and distort our perceptions of others are prejudices and stereotypes. Stereotypes were mentioned earlier as being preconceived, inaccurate, and rigid beliefs about individuals or a group of people. Stereotypes often determine our prejudices.(11) Having a prejudice is when we prejudge a person or group of people prior to having all known facts.(12)

          If we stereotype or prejudge others it can make it easier for us to think and feel badly about them. Because our thoughts and beliefs effect and guide our behaviors, if we think for example of someone as being less than us or if we think a particular group of people hate us, it becomes more likely that our behaviors toward those people will be negative. While prejudice is a negative attitude toward members of a group, it can lead to discrimination which involves negative behavior or unfair treatment toward members of a group.(13)

          Clearly our environment shapes our beliefs and behaviors which in turn effects how we see and feel about others. Now that we have a better idea about what influences our perceptions, let’s consider how our perceptions influence us.

How Our Perceptions Influence Us

          To better understand how our perceptions influence us we need to first understand a little about our brains and how we respond to emotions. In general, we have three levels of brain function: our low brain whose main function is our survival (breathing, blood flow, etc.); our mid-brain whose main function is responding emotionally; and our high brain whose main function is thinking, making associations, memories, etc. When a person experiences intense emotions or emotional overload, for example intense anger, they become stuck in their mid-brain and it is physically impossible for them to access their high brain and rationally think about the situation.

          When we experience different emotional states, our body undergoes physiological changes, of which we have no control.(14) These internal changes (e.g. an increase in adrenaline, or a decreased pulse rate, etc.) contribute to our emotions. Because people tend to express their emotions through behavior (crying, hitting, etc.) it is easy to see how strong negative emotions related to our misperceptions, stereotypes, and prejudices can not only effect us but they can disrupt our ability to relate positively with others.

          It is very easy and common for people to misperceive each other. Let’s consider a situation where someone misperceives you and as a result behaves toward you in a negative way. You may respond using your high brain and try to help them understand you accurately or what is more common, you might respond using your mid-brain or responding emotionally by getting upset, withdrawing, or even returning the favor.

          Now, let’s turn the situation around and consider what happens when we misperceive someone else and as a result direct negative behavior toward that person. If the person responds using their mid-brain and gets upset or returns the favor it may serve to reinforce or strengthen our misperceptions of that person. If the person withdraws our misperception is likely to continue. If the person tries to help you understand them more accurately it can be a good step toward perceptual awareness and living together peacefully.

          We should remember that when we behave negatively toward others based on our misperceptions we are usually either effected by intense emotions and therefore at the time stuck in our mid-brain, or we see our behavior as justified and we don’t think we are doing anything wrong. The same is often true in the reverse situation when someone is behaving negatively toward you based on their misperceptions. They may be experiencing intense emotions and are stuck in their mid-brain or they may see their behavior as justified as a result of not perceiving things accurately. With this in mind it may now be easier to bear any negative behavior with patience and understanding in order to respond using our high brain and help the other to see us more accurately.

          When negative behaviors based on misperceptions of others are common, it often promotes isolation, feelings of alienation, and victimization. The two sides or individuals withdraw from each other, isolating themselves. The only interaction with each other becomes negatively charged. Both sides can easily become stuck in their false and inaccurate perceptions of the other. The negative behaviors persist, strong emotions build up, and one or both sides begin to feel victimized and may even begin to view themselves as a discriminated minority. This cycle can lead to a whole host of societal problems.

          How do we begin to fix this problem? How do we promote perceptual awareness and understanding?

Communication and Active Listening

          Good communication is vital if we are to understand each other accurately. When we perceive others inaccurately communication can be difficult, especially if our misperceptions are negative. However, if we understand what effective communication involves and what some of its barriers might be then we are more likely to be successful in our attempts to accurately understand others. Effective communication can be a process that promotes trust and reassurance between individuals and between groups.

          “Communication has been described as the process of conveying feelings, attitudes, facts, beliefs, and ideas between individuals, whether verbally or non-verbally in such a way that the message intended was received.”(15) Communication usually involves: a sender, or someone who is attempting to communicate something; a receiver who is on the receiving end of the communication; and the message.(16) There are many things that can interfere with the communication process, resulting in distortion of the message itself or the way the message is perceived. Distracting influences such as the TV, a headache, other problems or concerns, even being tired can all serve to prevent effective communication from taking place.(17)

          In addition, it is important that the sender be clear, honest, and avoid emotional phrases that may set the receiver off. The sender communicates, not only with words but with facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, posture, and much more. It is equally important for the receiver to actively listen to the sender. There is a big difference between hearing and listening. When someone actively listens they “see the expressed idea, attitude, or problem from the other person’s point of view, to sense how it feels to the sender, and to achieve the sender’s frame of reference in regard to the thing he or she is talking about.”(18)

          When we actively listen to others the communication process really begins as it makes the sender feel understood and as a result they are encouraged to listen in return. Listening to people actively is a rare and valuable skill that can really help to promote and build trust and reassurance between individuals and groups. Just because we listen though, does not mean we understood the message as the sender intended it to be understood. When the receiver gives feedback to the sender repeating the message and how it was understood, then gains confirmation from the sender, this is when effective communication has taken place.

Where Does Understanding Our Misperceptions and Effective Communication Lead?

          When we understand our negative misperceptions, where they come from, how they influence us and others, and how to work toward correcting them through communication and listening we can take steps to put this knowledge into action thereby promoting perceptual awareness and peaceful co-existence. Many people express the desire to live in a peaceful environment, where tolerance, and the mutual acceptance and respect of others allow for diversity and harmony to exist together.

          It is important to note that tolerance and acceptance of others is not synonymous with compromising your own identity or beliefs. It is not even necessarily synonymous with the approval of others. It is possible to be different and to disagree with someone while still being tolerant and respectful toward them. When two sides try to understand the other, then equally respect their differences and allow for those differences, we have taken a concrete step toward civility, conflict resolution, and peace. We were not all meant to be exactly the same.

          Of course, there are those who seek profit and personal gain by promoting fear, hatred, polarization, and intolerance. There will be times when we look at what is going on in the world and feel like perceiving others accurately won’t do any good. We mustn’t give up. Imagine the changes that could take place if individuals all over the world simply worked to better themselves and their immediate surroundings. It is in this realm that we can all do something meaningful. The benefits can be tremendous, not only for ourselves but for the whole of humanity.

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Works Cited:

(1) Walker,Velma and Lynn Brokaw. Becoming Aware, A Text/Workbook for Human Relations and Personal Adjustment 9th Edition. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004. Page 23.

(2) The Fog of War, Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Dir. Errol Morris. Perf. Robert S. McNamara. DVD. Sony Pictures Classics, 2003.

(3) Ibid.

(4) Ibid.

(5) Ibid.

(6) Ibid.

(7) Ibid.

(8) World Public Opinion.Org. “Misperceptions, The Media and The Iraq War”. October 2, 2003. Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) and Knowledge Networks. 15 Aug 2006 [http://65.109.167.118/pipa/pdf/oct03/IraqMedia_Oct03_rpt.pdf]

(9) Walker,Velma and Lynn Brokaw. Becoming Aware, A Text/Workbook for Human Relations and Personal Adjustment 9th Edition. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004. Page 132.

(10) Why Affirmations Create New Behaviors. 1998. Performance Unlimited. August 2006 [http://www.performance-unlimited.com/whyaffir.htm]

(11) Walker,Velma and Lynn Brokaw. Becoming Aware, A Text/Workbook for Human Relations and Personal Adjustment 9th Edition. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004. Page 24.

(12) Ibid, 23.

(13) Ibid, 24.

(14) Ibid, 173.

(15) Ibid, 222.

(16) Ibid, 224-25.

(17) Ibid, 225.

(18) Ibid, 246.