Perception

 

We all see things differently, it's just that the same image two people are looking at is applied the same name so there's no conflict of subject.  I know that's confusing, but consider colors.  We all know the sky is blue.  Blue is a word appointed to the color of the atmosphere, but what if my sky is green and your sky is pink.  We've been told that our image of a green or pink dome is called 'blue' so we always refer to the color we see as 'blue.'  Then we stand side by side and look up at the sky and exclaim to one another how blue it looks that day.  There's no conflict of subject even though you see pink and I see green because we both call it 'blue.'

Confused?  Ya, it's a lot to think about.  Now, this probably isn't true for many people (except those who are color blind) because we are all genetically predisposed to the same rod and cone eye design to translate wavelength into color.  There is, however, substance in the theory of seeing the exact same image differently from someone else.  Especially as someone predisposed to art, I have noticed that I see things differently than others.  My way of 'seeing' is no better than anyone else's, it's just that being put in a position where I am constantly undergoing visual analyzation hightens my awareness of alternate perceptions.

There are big picture people, detail-oriented people, black and white with no gray people, just gray people, and bright and dark people.  Our personalities shape the way we see the world.  There is beauty in this diversity because we can learn to see in new ways from the people that come in and out of our lives.  We remain close with those that see the world in a way that we are comfortable with, whether it be completely opposite from or the same as our own views, but there are those that enter our lives to show us something we never noticed before and then they go.  How we see the world says a lot about who we are.  For me, black and white can be beautiful but it doesn't always stick.  The world is not just black and white.  I see beautiful shades of gray, but overall, my world is full of color.