Rose-Tinted Spectacles: Understanding the Influences on Our Perception
In today’s blog, I’d like to challenge your thinking a little. Imagine you're born wearing glasses with coloured lenses that change subtly over time. These lenses, shaped by your parents, caregivers, teachers, friends, and media, alter your perception of the world without you even realising it. As the years pass, these lenses stack up, each with a slightly different tint, creating a unique view that feels like your unarguable truth. However, everyone else's glasses have different shades, leading to entirely different perceptions of the same situation.
By adulthood, your worldview is a blend of countless influences—some good, some bad, some empowering, some limiting. It's like mixing blue and yellow lenses to see only green, forgetting that the original colours existed. This analogy highlights how our belief systems form and evolve unconsciously. We often adopt the views of those we trust, mirroring their coloured lenses.
The Formation of Our Belief Systems
Our belief systems begin forming early on in our childhoods, influenced heavily by our immediate environment. Parents and caregivers are typically the first to shape our perceptions, followed by teachers and peers. As we grow older, the media we consume and the cultural context we live in further colour our lenses. Each new influence adds another layer, creating a complex filter through which we interpret our experiences.
The Power of Perception
These coloured lenses shape not only how we see the world but also how we see ourselves. For instance, if you grew up in an environment that emphasised the importance of academic achievement, you might view yourself as a failure if you don’t excel in school, regardless of your successes in other areas. Conversely, a nurturing and supportive environment can instill a strong sense of self-worth and confidence.
The Challenge of Contradictory Beliefs
Exposure to contradictory beliefs can challenge and change your existing perceptions. This process can be uncomfortable, as it requires us to question the very foundation of our understanding. However, it is also an essential part of personal growth. By critically examining the beliefs we've adopted, we can start to peel back the layers of our lenses, revealing a clearer and more nuanced view of reality.
Peeling Back the Layers
The concept of challenging and changing our perceptions is central to our Co-founder’s book - How To Overcome The Bully In Your Brain. The goal of James’s book is to help you question old paradigms and peel back the limiting lenses, freeing you from cultural hypnosis and expanding your thinking. By doing so, you can begin to see the world more accurately and make decisions that align better with your true values and desires.
Practical Steps to Expand Your Perception
1. Seek Diverse Perspectives: Engage with people from different backgrounds and cultures. This can help you see beyond your own colored lenses and understand alternative viewpoints.
2. Reflect on Your Beliefs: Take time to think about why you hold certain beliefs. Are they based on your own experiences, or have they been adopted from others?
3. Challenge Your Assumptions: When you encounter a belief that conflicts with your own, instead of dismissing it outright, consider why you believe what you do and whether there might be validity to the opposing view.
4. Educate Yourself: Read books, attend lectures, and consume media that challenge your existing beliefs. Education is a powerful tool for expanding your understanding and peeling back the layers of your lenses.
Our coloured lenses, shaped by a lifetime of influences, create a unique and deeply personal view of the world. By recognising and questioning these influences, we can begin to see beyond our initial perceptions and develop a more accurate and empowering understanding of reality. The journey of peeling back these layers is challenging but ultimately liberating, allowing us to live more authentically and make choices that truly reflect who we are. So, take a moment to examine your own lenses—what colors are shaping your view, and how might you see the world differently if you looked through clearer glass?
