Dr.
Glasser explains that the only way we experience
the real world is through our perceptual system. Information
about the real world comes to us first through our sensory
system: our eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. Next, these
sensations pass through our perceptual system, beginning
with what Glasser calls our total knowledge filter, which
represents everything we know or have experienced.
When
information passes through our knowledge filter, one of
three things happens:
-
We
decide that the information is not meaningful to us and
the perception stops there,
-
We
do not immediately recognize the information, but believe
it may be meaningful to us so we have some incentive to
gain more information
-
The
information is meaningful to us and therefore passes through
the next filter, the valuing filter.
When
information passes through the valuing filter, we place
one of three values on it. If it is something we have learned
and is needs-satisfying, we place a positive value on it.
If it is something we have learned and hinders our ability
to meet our needs, we place a negative value on it. If it
neither helps us nor hinders us in meeting our needs, we
may place little or no value on it; it remains neutral.
Because
we all come to every situation with different knowledge
and experience, and therefore different values, our perceptions
of the real world are different. Thus, we don't all live
in the same "real world." We live our lives in
our Perceived Worlds.
By
"values" Dr. Glasser means that
which is important to us, not necessarily being limited
to moral or ethical values.
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Our Perceived Worlds are, for each of
us, our reality. Because they are made up of perceptions,
our Perceived Worlds are:
- Highly subjective:
based on one's culture, education, experience, gender,
age, etc.
- Unique
- Subject to constant
change (new information, new experiences = new perceptions)
- Frequently inaccurate
Often our perceptions
are chosen. We can frequently choose to perceive people,
places, and situations in a number of ways. For example,
in driving to work, I might choose to think of the
person who just pulled out in front of me as an inconsiderate
jerk who is intentionally ruining my morning and feel
all the stress that that perception carries with it.
Or I could think of the person as someone like myself
who just made a mistake in judgement because he/she
is in such a hurry. Then I could try to relax so as
not to do the same. In choosing our perceptions, it
might be a good idea to ask ourselves which perception
is better for to us hold. |
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