On the fallibility of perceptions

A lot of times we judge people through our bad perceptions of them. Sometimes even if they say something in genuineness, we tend to form that into our perception that they are bad. For example if we think that someone is our enemy, even if he wishes us on our birthday, we will tend to think “He is surely scheming something against me. That’s why he is wishing me like this”. A very good example from history is this poem, read through it and think of how amazingly human and emotional it is,

Your mother

When your mother has grown older,

When her dear, faithful eyes No longer see life as they once did,

When her feet, grown tired, No longer want to carry her as she walks,

Then lend her your arm in support,

escort her with happy pleasure -

the hour will come when, weeping, you must accompany her on her final walk.

And if she asks you something, then give her an answer.

And if she asks again, then speak!

And if she asks yet again, respond to her, not impatiently, but with gentle calm.

And if she cannot understand you properly, explain all to her happily.

The hour will come, the bitter hour, when her mouth asks for nothing more.

by Adolf Hitler, May 1923

This was in actuality written by Hitler! One of the most hated people on Earth. So one would ask themselves, “How can such an evil person come up with such a human emotion?”. This just goes to show how we look at the world and everyone in it through the colored glasses of our perception. We assume things and then mold our experience to fit our assumptions. That is what we do with religion, politics, relationships, almost everything in our life is based on these assumptions. Therefore the trick is not to mold our experiences to fit our assumptions, but to mold our assumptions to fit our experiences. Accept that no one is absolutely evil or absolutely good. Embrace the optimism that every person has a better side, we just need to access it.

This was based on a talk by Ajahn Brahm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDgBfvFv-54&feature=share