:: Preceptions ::

Perceptions is the process whereby one becomes aware of the existence of an object or an event. In my point of view, it often is influenced by factors surrounding it, and more often than not, result in subjective opinions on that matter. One looks at something from their own perspective, they hold on to that perspective and angle, and believe strongly in it.

When opposing viewpoints are raised, one might react in two ways. The first being they react strongly against it, while the second being a change in viewpoint to follow the "majority" to "blend in".

This process of Perceptions involves three stages, including selection, organisation and interpretation.

In the array of information that is available to one, one often selects the information that stands out to him/her, and which has an impact of a certain degree to him/her. He/she thereafter organises thoughts of the particular information, sorting out the details that he/she has an opinion on, before giving his/her own interpretation on that information. This whole process actually happens in just a few seconds, but is imprinted in the mind for a very long time thereafter.

This perception created is strictly the viewpoint of one, and can be right or wrong.

To me, more often than not, I carry these "perceptions", and at many times, being biased, and might influence the people around me to these perceptions, negative or not. Especially in the case of stereotyping.

Being in a competitive society such as that in Singapore, and also being a "not-so-booksmart" person, I've had, at many points in life, steoreotyped different groups of people, and putting them in the negative light.

Back in my JC days, being from a bottom ranked JC, I often "talked bad" with regards to students from top ranked junior college, basing it on past knowledge and experiences of interaction. I would always label them as "aloof, arrogant, and "no-life"". It was only after in depth interaction with someone from a top JC, that I know my perceptions was wrong, and that I should not label and classify someone or a group so easily.

When I was in university, I was entered in a faculty which was dominated by "foreign talents". Many of these are scholars and are highly competitive. In the brief first few dyas I started school, and living in the hostel, I had terrible experiences with these Chinese nationals. This led me to stereotyping them and through conversations with friends, affected them, labelling and giving them negative nicknames. We would not see their "good", but to highlight their bad. They were classified as having bad dress sense, poor hygiene, uncouthed, etc. Me and my friends would instantly shun them on the streets and in the campus. In the later days when I was "forced" to do projects with a few of them, my impressions changed and was once again proven wrong.

As humans, we are prone to developing such perceptions about people, things and events, good or bad, but we should always try to be objective, and conduct perceptive checks before passing judgments on them. We should always try to be rational, and look at things from different angles, and accepting that there are different things and people in the world, things happen for a reason, and be able to look at things in different views.