BY JIM N. TAYLOR
Through trial and error and memory in the use of our five senses (sensation) we develop a perception of reality which is further enhanced by reason and the human power of discrimination as we age.
We test our perception of reality against what others describe, against mutually observed scenes, photographs, paintings, the touched, smelled and recordings.
The variations between individual perceptions of reality are apparently more likely to be related to powers of reasoning and discrimination than to sensation differences.
The pitfalls in sensation interpretation are exploited by magicians, and the pitfalls in perception by reasoning and discrimination are exploited by attorneys, politicians and sales/ marketing personnel.
A good attorney is interested principally the truth, but the highest paid lawyers are more interested in perception than in reality or truth.
The flaws of the human brain, and thus flaws of the mind, and the lack of the awareness of these flaws vary greatly between individuals; and these differences give rise to the variations between individual perceptions of reality.
The differences between the perceptions of reality give rise to the differences between individual philosophies.
It is important here to note that the simplest definition of philosophy as the search for truth is totally inadequate, since philosophy is also a search for falsehood; and possibly most important, it is a withholding of opinion where evidence is inadequate.
In defining truth, we must agree that reality and truth are interchangeable; that which is true is real and that which is real is true, whether we like it or not.
One of the most influential flaws of the brain/mind is that cognitive bias known as the ‘confirmation bias’ which causes us to look first for any evidence that reinforces what we already believe, even if we must ignore evidence to the contrary.
The fallibility of memory is greatly influenced by the confirmation bias. Our memories are changed a bit each time we access them to accommodate our perception of reality.
This is a scientific fact; memory is not a recording of what happened.
Memory is what we experienced as influenced by what we wish had happened and what we fear happened.
Perhaps the first flaw of the brain/mind that humans experienced and that continues as a contemporary problem is the ‘mystery therefore magic’ bias, which is our tendency to attribute the unexplained to the supernatural or ‘divine’, despite the lack of evidence that such sources exist.
The many flaws of the brain, untrained logic, shortcuts which save time but lead us astray, the recognition of patterns where none exist, our ineptitude with numbers and/or probability; which allow our minds to develop imperfectly make our belief systems also disbelief systems and make humans seek others of like mindedness for mutual reinforcement, sometimes to the level of dogmatism.
Those who become aware of the flaws of the brain strive to overcome these flaws with what is known as critical thinking.
The tools of the critical thinker are science, mathematics, reason and logic. The avoidance of emotion in the search for truth is a hallmark of the critical thinker.
The deceptions of the mind are a subject of courses in critical thinking available from certain institutions.
These deceptions are too numerous and intricate to discuss within time allotments provided here.
The five senses provide by our physical components are not the only senses we possess: We develop a *sense of justice or expected reciprocal behavior. Justice has great importance within any society, even though it may be only a concept.
A *sense of essence or quality possessed which supersedes physical being such as a spirit; and a *sense of the supernatural (real or imagined) are both present to some degree in most of us and contribute to our perception of reality.
Jim Taylor is a local resident who is regularly published in the Valley Morning Star.
