PRISONERS OF PERCEPTION

That is how I define mankind. 
May be I can qualify it a bit.

Insecurity Driven. 

I am convinced that we are driven more, by our insecurity than by the secure existence we enjoy, both resultant of individual perceptions. Our perception driven insecurities propel us to do what we do and plan to do. More often than not, we dissect our yesterdays, fantasize our tomorrows and miss out our todays.

  Each human being perceives life differently. Sitting in their safe cocoons unfettered by perceptions of insecurity, most see life with their own pair of perception spectacles. Otherwise, why do people think and behave differently? There has to be an answer somewhere! 

 Scriptures tell me that even Adam and Eve were propelled by insecurity imprisoned by their perception. Why else should anybody, sane and cocooned in the most pristine surroundings, amongst the august company of divinity, with nothing to worry about, do that silly thing of eating a damned fruit, the only thing that was forbidden? Did Eve perceive that she could eat that fruit and become like God and be more secure? Did insecurity consume her because she was forbidden from having something as insignificant as a fruit from one particular tree? She could not have been tricked by that wizard of a crook called Satan if he had not sensed her halo of insecurity. 

 Did Adam perceive that he could make himself and his cohabitant secure by that senseless act of vanity? Did he perceive gains in agreeing to go along with the plot that Eve and Satan hatched? (Notice the similarity between ‘greed’ and ‘agreed?) Both Adam and Eve perceived that nobody would know what they did. They stole the forbidden fruit, shared it and for the first time perceived nudity. Remember they were seeing each other every day without ever feeling naked. Having perceived nudity, they ran for cover, found leaves to cloth themselves in and in the ensuing chaotic cauldron perceived the need for each other and secured themselves falling in love. Rest is both history and future. 

 Why did God forbid Adam and Eve from eating that fruit? Did he perceive any threat from them? Was he insecure about man’s intentions and capabilities? Was He too prisoner of his own perception? Difference in perception between creator and his creation 

 Closer home it was not much different. Poor insecure Kunti wanted to be sure of the boon she had secured. Perceived she could experiment with Sun and ended up in divine conception. She got what she wanted but couldn’t keep what she got. She perceived that she could cast away her insecurity but ended up with an insecure future for her sons to be. Rest is both history and future. The story continues… 

 If perception be the omnipresent driver, where is truth? Does absolute truth exist? If what we see, what we do and what we feel is perception coloured can truth exist devoid of perception? 

The importance of the need to manage perception clearly emerges. Smart management of perception leads to believable truth. Civilizations clashed because of the conflicting sides of the same truth differently perceived and managed. One who manages perception better and mobilizes better emerges the victor. The focus therefore for a leader is to perceive ‘truth’ the way he wants to and manage others perception of his truth. Ethics may or may not be an ingredient of his perception. Good of the society may or may not be the outcome. Goal is the focus perception management the most potent ingredient to achieving that goal.