How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 8:12 pm
- Favorite Philosopher: Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Contact:
How accurate is our perception?
Which brings up another question, can I determine the accuracy of my perception in the absence of any type of authority? I ask that question because the accuracy of my perception would be dependent upon the accuracy of the authority I used. Not only that, my perception is my authority. Needless to say, all this is very confusing to me.
-
- Posts: 132
- Joined: January 29th, 2014, 6:43 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
Or am I taking accuracy in the wrong way? Is it confirmation from other people or some other form of evidence that you need?
- -1-
- Posts: 878
- Joined: December 1st, 2016, 2:23 am
Re: How accurate is our perception?
Whether you believe your perceptions is a matter of belief. Most times, (actually, always) my perceptions are consistent, but that may change at a moment's notice.
Most people, esp. children, are not bothered by this problem. This is one of the drawbacks of philosophy: it sometimes irrefutably proves unsettling truths. Another one for many people is determinism; I'm okay with that. I'm a convergent thinker, there is stability it determinism, which I like, even at the cost or price of giving up control.
This, the Perception / Solipsism dilemma is still unsettling for me, although I learned by now to see that I have at least a fifty-fifty blind chance of being right when I accept that my sensory world is a true or close enough reflection of reality.
I think a better question would be, "why do we need to believe or why do we hope that perception is true to reality?" Indeed, what's the point in that? I ask because it's a true point, a major point, a huge point.
-
- Posts: 3601
- Joined: February 28th, 2014, 4:50 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 290
- Joined: March 3rd, 2017, 1:49 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
- Sy Borg
- Site Admin
- Posts: 14997
- Joined: December 16th, 2013, 9:05 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
For instance, we know that magnetic fields are all around us but we can't perceive them without instruments. It may have been useful at times for early humans to naturally perceive magnetic fields. However, the fact that we don't perceive them suggests that it was more useful to perceive other things, that being able to see magnetism would too often be a waste of energy or a distraction. Our researchers work to free us from this efficacious prison of our animal body but there is obviously no way of knowing what it is that one doesn't know. Like Alice, we don't know how deep the rabbit hole goes.
That's just considering our impression of the environment. Our inner workings are also mysterious to us, with our bodies humming along happily, seemingly without any of our input. The "I" sits atop this efficient biological machine like a parasitic wastrel glory-seeker, with the freeloader blithely taking all of the credit (and, admittedly, blame) for the 24/7 work of our internal colonies. Recent work into our microbiome is gradually correcting this oversight.
Another avenue of investigation is into the psyche, the suites of genetic and conditioned inclinations that make up our character and personality. We don't understand much of that which has shaped us, as it's often hidden by time and memory as well as being defined (ie. limited) by our genetic inheritance. At least in this instance we need not worry about subjectivity interfering with objectivity - perhaps.
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 8:12 pm
- Favorite Philosopher: Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Contact:
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-- Updated April 3rd, 2017, 10:14 pm to add the following --
Your perception is also your psychological identity because if you were to lose your memory you wouldn't know who your are.
-
- Posts: 3364
- Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:45 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 8:12 pm
- Favorite Philosopher: Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Contact:
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 10339
- Joined: June 15th, 2011, 5:53 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 8:12 pm
- Favorite Philosopher: Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Contact:
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 132
- Joined: January 29th, 2014, 6:43 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 10339
- Joined: June 15th, 2011, 5:53 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 8:12 pm
- Favorite Philosopher: Jiddu Krishnamurti
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Contact:
Re: How accurate is our perception?
If you examine what made that decision or determination you will see that it is your perception. Now you know what we are examining.
-- Updated April 4th, 2017, 6:40 am to add the following --
If you were to describe yourself in a sentence or two, that would be your perception of yourself. If you were to describe someone else in a sentence or two, that would be your perception of them.
-- Updated April 4th, 2017, 6:54 am to add the following --
You have an opinion, view or perception of Donald Trump. Is your opinion, view or perception the same as every one's? Likewise, Donald Trump has opinion, view, or perception of himself which is different then yours and others. Is your opinion more accurate then Trump's or someone else? What determined that?
-
- Posts: 132
- Joined: January 29th, 2014, 6:43 pm
Re: How accurate is our perception?
Eaglerising wrote:Everything we do is based upon our perceived accuracy of our perception. Seeing this caused me to wonder how can I accurately determine the accuracy of my perception? I say that because I would need something other than my perception to determine that.
Which brings up another question, can I determine the accuracy of my perception in the absence of any type of authority? I ask that question because the accuracy of my perception would be dependent upon the accuracy of the authority I used. Not only that, my perception is my authority. Needless to say, all this is very confusing to me.
Just in case you forgot, Eaglerising, this is what you actually posted. There is no mention of ones' perception of oneself.
There have been some studies on the accuracy of self perceived personality compared to personality as measured by standard tests but I can't for the moment think where or who.
2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023