PERCEPTION/JUDGEMENT

A poor young mother goes to a particular vegetable vendor each week to buy food for her family because there, the prices are considerably less than anywhere else. Many of her friends who knew the vendor well, told the poor mother that the reason the food is cheap is because the vendor steals it from farmers. Her neighbour, knowing that the mother was a good and moral woman, and knowing that she would rather suffer than buy stolen goods, told her that the vendor gets his goods honestly. Although the mother was suspicious of the vendor's character and had strong reason to believe her friends, she chose instead to believe the neighbour.

Why did the woman choose to believe her neighbour and not her friend?

Do we all tend to accept or reject beliefs according to our desires?

Is it important for every individual to THINK very long and hard about what they would believe, and why?

Do you think that regardless of reason, people ultimately choose to believe what they want to believe?

Do you think people adopt beliefs which give them emotional reassurance and comfort, or are we more concerned with seeking the truth, even if it might be difficult to accept?

What would you think of a religion which directs devotees to impose their belief on others by force?

Is it possible that some religions are based on beliefs which are false?

How can you judge what is false in a belief system from what might be true?

Are there criteria or guiding principles you would use?

What do your actions say about your values and beliefs?

Two boys were walking home from school one evening. One of them had no lunch that day, the other just had a snack and was not hungry. On the way they passed a mango tree, which bore a few ripe fruits.

Which boy do you think is more likely to notice the fruit first?

Is it likely that the other boy might pass without even seeing the tree

Do you take equal notice of everything that comes within your view, or do you tend to "see" those things relevant to you more easily?

There are two distinct stages involved in perception:

(1) Stimulation of at least one sensory organ, and

(2) The interpretation of the stimulation.

There are several factors which affect the interpretation of stimulation. Among these are:

Relevance

As in the case of the schoolboy who had lunch, it is possible that an object might be interpreted (subconsciously) as so irrelevant by an observer that it simply is not noticed. According to one's physical, mental, or emotional state, objects tend to be interpreted accordingly. What we see and how we see things depend to a great extent on how we are. Things we desire, even subconsciously, things we look for, and things we fear are more easily noticed.

Culture/Exposure

Apart from the relevance of one's physical, mental, or emotional states, we also perceive things according to our past experiences. For example, a soccer fan seeing a goal's netting would perceive it as such. Someone from a remote fishing village who knows nothing about the game might see (perceive) a strange-looking fishing net.

Anticipation/Expectation

Past experiences affect perception in other ways. They make us learn to expect and deal with occurrences in the future and could be useful for an individual's survival. They can, however, be counter-productive at times. For example, someone who was bitten by a dog some time ago and has developed a fear of dogs, would probably interpret a friendly bark from a strange dog as dangerous and aggressive. More relevant to our society is the child who has been abused by an authoritative figure. The child might become very suspicious and wary of all authority. Simple gestures of kindness by teachers or community leaders might be interpreted as sinister. On the other hand, a child who always had good experiences with authority might not see subtle signs of predatory individuals in authoritative positions.

Expectations can also originate from the opinions and suggestions of others. For example, if someone shows you an orange, chances are you will see an orange. If, however, that person says to you before revealing the orange, "I have a grapefruit here," and then shows you the orange, you might very well 'see' a grapefruit. We tend to see what we believe is there, so those who influence our beliefs influence our perception. Persons held in high regard can especially influence perceptions because they tend to be believed more easily. Persons with low self-confidence or much self-doubt would be particularly susceptible to the influence of the opinions and suggestions of others.

Contrast

Imagine a crowd of people standing in the street. Now imagine one man running in between the crowd. Among the people that you see, who do you think you will notice most? Contrast usually influences perception by directing one's focus in a particular way or direction. In any situation we tend to see that which stands out before the environment from which it stands out. Contrast can take many forms such as contrast of the following: movement, shape, colour, sound, texture, taste, and smell.

Can you think of any more forms of contrast we encounter?

Drugs and illness

Certain drugs can seriously influence perception. They can have a disruptive effect on both the sensory organs and the interpretation of stimuli, thus affecting the rates at which these work. They can also alter our consciousness so that the differences between imagination, memory, and stimuli become less distinguishable from each other. It is very possible when using certain drugs that hallucinations become one's perception. This is a very serious and dangerous situation indeed. Certain illnesses and injuries also alter our physical and mental states, affecting either or both our sensory processes and our interpretation of stimuli.

Judgements

Because our judgements are based on our knowledge, which in turn is based on our perception, it is of great importance to understand the mechanics of perception. Before any judgement is arrived at one should always consider whether one's perception of the matter is unduly affected by any of the above factors. We need to understand our limitations regarding our individual perceptions and seek the advice of others who may have a different opinion (though not necessarily a better opinion) of any matter before us. It is truer to say, "a wise person is one who seeks advice," than "a wise person gives advice".

Basically, judgements are of two types: (1) judgements of objective facts and (2) judgements of subjective matters. One example of a judgement of an objective fact is as follows: When crossing the street one would judge whether or not an approaching vehicle is sufficiently far away to allow one to cross. The accuracy of the person's judgement is one which can be measured objectively. On the other hand, judgements on subjective matters cannot be evaluated in any objective or scientific way. They can only be measured by the perceptions and judgements of others. Choosing the winner of a beauty contest is a good example of this second type of judgement. With this type of judgement, one might say that the perception itself is the truth.

Can you tell which type of judgement is used to assess the following?

How does the person nearest you smell?

Is your room neat?

Are your teachers too strict with you?

Are your shoes comfortable?

Are you physically fit?

Who is the tallest in your class?

Is it long again before dinner?

Who is the brightest person in your class?

Moral Judgements

Which type of judgement is used in the following story?

Eric was grounded by his mother. He was told not to drive the car for a week, but two days after being grounded, his friend who lived next door fell and injured her leg. Apart from Eric no one else was around to assist her, so he took the car and drove her to the hospital.

Later that evening Eric told his mother what had happened. "Although I went against your wishes," he told his mother, "I felt that helping our neighbour was the right thing to do.'

The type of judgement Eric uses is called a moral judgement. Is it subjective or objective? Are all moral judgements of the same type?

Are there set standards for judging the correctness of moral acts or is perception always truth regarding morality? Is one's perception of morality subject to exposure or expectation? If for example Eric's mother told him that disobeying her orders was wrong even though he did it to help his neighbour, would his perception of the correctness of his actions change?

Is moral perception also subject to other factors such as relevance, contrast, drugs and illness, etc.?

Suppose there was another scenario where another neighbour whom Eric did not like was in similar need, and Eric was again forbidden to drive the car. Suppose this time Eric refused to help his person on the grounds that it will go against his mother's wishes. Would Eric then be acting morally? Would Eric be guilty of changing his moral perception to suit what he wanted to do at the time?

Moral Principles

A moral principle is a rule or standard with which the rectitude of decisions and actions are judged. If principles are not applied consistently in various situations, it would be quite impossible for societies to function in good order. Although principles themselves may vary from one society to another, or even one person to another (according to perception), it is vital for them to be applied consistently by the person or society. Without their consistent application there will be no rules of behaviour. What seems acceptable one moment might land someone in jail the next. There would be complete anarchy. It is imperative, therefore, that moral judgements are guided consistently on the foundation of principles.

Should anyone who does not hold fast to a moral principle demand the following of that principle from another person? Would he have what is termed "moral authority" to make such a demand?

Can you think of any person in history who by contrast changed the moral perception of a society, country or the world?

In Calcutta, India, there were many destitute people who lived on the sidewalks and alleyways. The general population took little notice of their plight until one woman took it upon herself to look after these destitute and abandoned street people. In time, the sight of this woman tending to the sick and dying destitute caused others to become more aware of society's neglect of these people. How much can the contrast of one good life change the perception of the world?

Is there anything you can do to change the moral perception of those around you?

Activity: The following can be considered a list of moral principles. Add five more principles to it.

Every person should be treated equally under the law.

Every person has a right to life.

Everyone has a right to privacy.