Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Seeing

There are stories that natives who had never seen a sailing ship did not see the ship when it was approaching them. It was not until an elder of the tribe saw and pointed them out that the rest saw the ships.

There was a scientific expedition which presented photographs to a tribe that had never seen one before and they could not see the photo. To them it was just paper.

When we think about it we have a way of folding what we see into what we know or believe. However, we have also learned from science that our senses cannot see all that could be seen, hear all that could be heard, smell all that could be smelled, and so on.

The world is indeed a different place for the colorblind, the deaf and the handicapped. Perhaps we shouldn't be so certain that the way we see the world is the only way to see it.

Maybe we need to be more tolerant to someone else's viewpoint before dismissing it.

Your thoughts?

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10 conversations:

Carol said...

Why do I keep coming here? You make my brain hurt :)

Peter Haslam said...

As long as it is a healthy hurt Carol

Anonymous said...

I forget the originator..however a frequent quote in social science literature is...

"there is more to seeing than mets the eyeball"

The implication being that as human beings we 'interpret' sense data rather than simply record an objective reality 'out there'

Peter Haslam said...

Absolutely correct reasonable robinson all is illusion

Sandee said...

Yeah, what Carol said...

I agree to a point. If that viewpoint is harmful then I would take offense.

I do agree that you can tell a story and there will be different takes on that story for each person. Everyone views things differently and that viewpoint should be respected. The person with the viewpoint believes what they believe as we believe what we believe. It doesn't make either of us right or wrong either. Have a great day Peter. Off to the boat for a cruise-in to Pittsburg Yacht Club. :)

Peter Haslam said...

Agreed Sandee with your viewpoint ther is the possibility of at least mutual respect. The heart of any relationship. Have a great trip and we will see you when you get back

Jennifer Jones said...

Hi Peter...

The way I see it, we can only experience what we have the ability to preceive... which means there is a WHOLE lot more than what we think! ;-)

Thanks Peter!

JJ

Peter Haslam said...

Thanks for your input Jen

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

very true, but not always easy!

smiles, bee

Peter Haslam said...

I agree Bee not easy