Swapping Rose-Colored Glasses: Understanding How We See the World

Exploring Perception, Perspective, and the Invisible Forces Shaping Our Views

The expression "rose-colored spectacles" (or "rose-colored glasses") originates from the idea of seeing the world through lenses that literally or figuratively tint one’s vision, making everything appear more optimistic. The metaphor suggests that wearing "rose-colored spectacles" filters out negative or unpleasant realities, making everything seem better or more desirable than it truly is. It often describes an overly optimistic attitude, where someone ignores challenges or flaws.

Over time, the phrase has become a popular way to discuss bias in perception, mainly when someone focuses on the positives while ignoring the negatives. This Substack's focus on Cognitive Biases implies there’s something more to explore than just rose-colored spectacles.

How It Occurs to You

Some call it perception, but whatever you call it, it often holds us back from seeing things from other people's points of view. The difference between perception and the way people see things (or ‘how it occurs to them’) lies in their scope and underlying processes:

Perception

Perception refers to the broader, multi-sensory process by which individuals interpret and understand sensory information from the environment. It involves seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting, as well as cognitive and emotional factors that influence how sensory input is interpreted.

• Scope: Scientific and psychological; encompasses the mental and physiological mechanisms behind our world experience.

• Influencing Factors:

  • Sensory input (from all senses)

  • Past experiences and knowledge

  • Cognitive biases

  • Emotions and mental state

  • Social and cultural context

The Way People See Things (How it occurs to them)

This phrase typically refers to people's subjective interpretations, perspectives, or opinions. It is primarily based on visual perception and cognitive processes but heavily influenced by personal experiences, beliefs, and biases.

• Scope: More informal and commonly used in everyday language to describe someone’s viewpoint, interpretation, or attitude about a situation or concept.

• Influencing Factors:

  • Personal beliefs or values

  • Social or cultural influences

  • Emotional state

  • Contextual understanding of the situation

In short, perception is the underlying process that allows individuals to interpret sensory information. At the same time, how people see things is a specific, personal outcome of that process shaped by individual perspectives and biases.

What Influences How Things Occur To You

To understand what influences how you see things, it would be best to reflect on the factors shaping your perception and perspective. This involves examining your internal biases, experiences, and external influences.

1. Identify Your Influences

• Past Experiences: How does your personal history shape your interpretations? Have past successes, failures, or significant events caused you to view situations more positively or negatively?

• Beliefs and Values: Reflect on the principles guiding your decisions and judgments. These often create a lens through which you interpret events.

• Emotional State: Analyze how your current emotions affect your outlook. Stress, joy, or anger can significantly color how you see things.

2. Examine Cognitive Biases, including

• Confirmation Bias: Do you focus on information that supports your beliefs?

• Anchoring: Are your judgments overly influenced by initial impressions or first pieces of information?

• Availability Heuristic: Are you basing decisions on recent or memorable examples rather than a broader perspective?

3. Consider Cultural Background

• Cultural Environment: How does your upbringing shape your worldview? Individualistic versus collectivist cultures can influence priorities and perceptions differently.

• Social Norms: Do societal expectations pressure you into seeing things in a particular way?

• Media and Technology: Evaluate how news, social media, and other information sources shape your understanding of reality.

4. Reflect on Your Thought Processes

• Self-Talk: Are your thoughts constructive or overly critical? Do they align with reality or distort it?

• Critical Thinking: Are you analyzing information objectively or jumping to conclusions?

• Perspective-Taking: Are you considering other viewpoints, or is your interpretation overly self-focused?

5. Use Feedback and External Perspectives

• Seek Input: Ask trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors how they interpret situations differently and why. Their perspectives can reveal biases or blind spots.

• Compare Experiences: Reflect on how others with different backgrounds approach similar situations.

6. Practice Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

• Pause and Reflect: When forming opinions, ask yourself why you see this situation differently.

• Track Patterns: Keep a journal to document how you interpret events and decisions over time.

• Meditate: Mindfulness can help you observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment.

7. Experiment with Perspective-Shifting

• Role Reversal: Imagine yourself in someone else’s position. How might they see the same situation differently?

• Opposing Views: Explore arguments against your perspective to identify areas where your interpretation may be skewed.

• Adapt to New Environments: Expose yourself to new cultures, experiences, or viewpoints to challenge and broaden your perspective.

Swap Your Glasses

Thinking about how things occur to others doesn’t mean you have to change your beliefs or actions. However, considering the factors above gives you multiple types of "glasses" (not just rose-colored ones) to use when examining any situation. This could change your perception of the problem—or reinforce your initial view. Either way, it helps ensure your perspective is deliberate, not just a story you’re telling yourself.