There are times, when the mind being painfully alive to receive impressions, a great deal may be noted at a glance. It would be a fallacy to assume that evolutionary change must be completely gradual. In all lineages, the pace assuredly speeds up and slows down as a result of factors that influence the size and relative isolation of population. In addition, environmental changes that influence the pace and direction of natural selection must also be considered. Some men endeavor so long to blind other individual’s eyes, that at last they quite darken their own; and although in their nature they are certainly daws (obsolete), yet they find a method of persuading themselves that they are peacocks. #RyanPhillippe 1 of 16

The mind’s eye is not formed to take in many ideas, no one than the body’s eyes many objects at once. Even the clearest and most perfect circumstantial evidence is likely to be at fault, after all, and therefore ought to be received with great caution. Take the case of the Sun, have you ever seen the Sun set? You may think you have. Yet, in reality, we know the Sun does not set. Instead, our viewing angel changes as the Earth turns, until the Sun is obscured by the horizon. Want to try the alternative? This evening, stand facing the west. With practice, you can learn to feel yourself being swept back on the rotating surface of the Earth as you watch an unmoving Sun recede in the distance. #RyanPhillippe 2 of 16

This radical shift in perspective illustrates the limitations of objective observation. Like most experiences, seeing a sunset is a perceptual reconstruction (mental model) of an external event. The common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and mind, finding there capacities which the outside did not indicate nor promise, and which the other kind could not detect. Another way of appreciating this is to realize that it takes about 50 milliseconds for a visual signal to move from the retina to the brain. Therefore, the images we see are always slightly in the past. An event that happens quickly, like the pop of a flashbulb, may be over by the time we experience it. #RyanPhillippe 3 of 16

As we have seen, perception reflects the needs, expectations, attitudes, values, and beliefs of the perceiver. In this light, the phrase seeing is believing must be modified. Clearly, we can see what we believe, as well as believe what we see. In some cases, subjective perception nurtures the personal vision valued in art, photography, music, poetry, and scientific innovation. Often, however, it is a real liability. We are living in the age of digital technology and everyone is looking to be the first to report a story or share an image, but you have to be careful. There are a lot of gossip sites out there and photo altering programs, which may make it look and sound like something happened, when it in fact did not. #RyanPhillippe 4 of 16

The news media has been starving for ratings and some outlets are willing to report anything to increase the people tuning into their programs and web sites, and often times this has disastrous consequences. Gossip sites like Just Jared, Perze Hilton, Page Six, and even tabloids like People Magazine are desperate for revenue so they photoshop imagines of celebrities and share information from “insiders,” which is often times false. Gossip is trivial talk, often involving personal or sensational rumors. Rumors are reports of uncertain origin and unreliable information.  If a person cannot name their source, then you really should realize the report is an unconfirmed rumor or gossip and is not news. So you cannot always trust media practitioners. #RyanPhillippe 5 of 16

The quest to sell more papers or get more ratings or web traffic is often just promotional hoopla cooked up in the propaganda department, and is known as “yellow journalism.” Yellow journalism is sensational news that is hyperbolized and fabricated to attract more of an audience.  Once yellow journalism was isolated in areas of modern journalism such as supermarket tabloids and trash documentary programs on television. However, even the news is starting to engage in sleazy gossip as news. It is a sad day in news when the Business and Economic correspondent is trying to pass off unconfirmed celebrity gossip as news. #RyanPhillippe 6 of 16

This is why many people do not believe that celebrity stories should be part of the news broadcast, as it makes the program and reporters lose credibility and the public’s trust. The news should really avoid sideshows and report and comment seriously on important issues and events, instead of pandering to the offbeat, tawdry and sensational. The journalistic ideal, an unbiased seeking of truth and an unvarnished telling of it, dictates that the work be done without partisanship. Yet, as human beings, journalists have person values that influence all that they do, including their work. #RyanPhillippe 7 of 16

Because the news judgment decisions that journalists make are so important to an informed citizenry, we need to know what makes these people tick. Are they left wingers? Are they ideological zealots? Are they quirky and unpredictable?  Are they conscientious? Remember that perceptions are reconstructions of reality. Learn to regularly question your own perceptions. Are they accurate? Could another interpretation fit the fact? Could they be false? How might your assumptions be distorting your perceptions? Beware of perceptual sets. Any time you label individuals, objects, or events, there is danger that your perceptions will be distorted by expectations or preexisting categories. Therefore, be especially wary stereotypes. #RyanPhillippe 8 of 16

Try to see people as individuals and events as unique, one-time occurrences. Be aware of the ways in which motives and emotions influence perceptions. It is difficult to avoid being swayed by your own interests, needs, desires, and emotions. However, be aware of this trap and actively try to see the World through the eyes of others. Taking the other individual’s perspective is especially valuable in disputes or arguments. Ask yourself, “How does this look to him or her?” Actively look for additional evidence to check accuracy of your perceptions. Ask questions, seek clarifications, and find alternate channels of information. #RyanPhillippe 9 of 16

Remember that perception is not automatically accurate. You could be wrong—we all are frequently. Pay attention. Make a conscious effort to be fully present in the moment. Do not drift through life in a haze. Listen to others with full concentration. Watch their facial expressions. Make eye contact. Try to get into the habit of approaching perception like you are going to have to testify later about what you saw and heard. Impression formed when a person is surprised, threatened, or under stress are especially prone to distortion. That is why witnesses to crimes so often disagree. #RyanPhillippe 10 of 16

As a dramatic demonstration of the problem, a college professor was attacked by an actor in a staged assault. Immediately after the event 141 witnesses were questioned in detail. Their descriptions were then compared to a videotape made of the staged “crime.” The total accuracy score for the group (on features such as appearance, age, weight, and height of the assailant) was only 25 percent of the maximum possibility. Similarly, a study of real eyewitness cases found that the wrong person was chosen from police lineups 25 percent of the time. #RyanPhillippe 11 of 16

Psychologists are gradually convincing lawyers, judges, and the police officers of the fallibility of eyewitness testimony. Nevertheless, thousands of people have been wrongly convicted. A revealing study found that eyewitness accuracy is virtually the same. Jurors who place more weight on the testimony of victims may be making a serious mistake. Witnesses who are confident in their testimony are no more likely to be accurate than those who have doubts. #RyanPhillippe 12 of 16

A police officer testified that he saw a defendant shoot a victim, in one particular case, as both stood in a doorway 120 feet away. Measurements made by a psychologist showed that at that distance, light from the dimly lit doorway was extremely weak—less than a fifth of that from a candle. To further show that identification was improbable, a juror stood in the doorway under identical lighting conditions. None of the jurors could identify hi. The defendant was acquitted.  #RyanPhillippe 13 of 16

Also, in many crimes, victims fall prey to the phenomenon of weapon focus. Understandably, victims often fix their entire attention on the knife, gun, or other weapon used by an attacker. In doing so, they fail to perceive details of appearance, dress, or other clues to identity. And in another case, a photojournalist allegedly obtained nude photos of a young man, and showed them around the newsroom. When the young man’s father found out, he viewed the photos and knew it was not his son. The male appendage, in the photos the photographer had was nine inches long, his son is not quite that large. #RyanPhillippe 14 of 16

So be careful about how you obtain information and where you get it from. Ryan thought his son was stealing from him, frequently money would come up missing and private photos and information were being leaked. Ryan eventually became convinced of his son’s guilt, but said nothing. As his distrust and anger grew, their relationships turned cold and distant. Finally, at his co-worker’s advice, Ryan confronted his son. The son cleared himself immediately and expressed relief when the puzzling change in their relationship was explained. With their bond reestablished, the true culprits were caught soon. (The cleaning woman and her reporter friends did it!) #RyanPhillippe 15 of 16

If you have ever concluded that someone was angry, upset, or unfriendly without checking the accuracy of your perceptions, you have fallen into a subtle trap. Personal objectivity is an elusive quality, requiring frequent reality testing to maintain. At the very least, it pays to ask a person what he or she is feeling when you are in doubt. Clearly, most of us could learn to be better “eyewitnesses” to daily events. Again, I ask you, have you ever seen the Sunset? No, but because of ongoing misunderstandings, illegal computer hacking, and “insider” information, you may think you have. If the doors of perception were cleaned, man and woman would see everything as it is, infinite. Be aware of the ways in which motives and emotions influence perceptions. #RyanPhillippe 16 of 16