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Leitura de 11 min

The Perception Principle

Summary

The episode explores the fundamental principle that our perceptions are shaped by our unique individual experiences, memories, and backgrounds. Host Jonathan Cottrell explains how this understanding emerged from his personal journey with anxiety and cognitive behavioral therapy, revealing why different people can have completely different interpretations of the same events.

Cottrell delves into the mechanics of perception, explaining that we don’t simply observe the world around us—we actively construct it through a combination of sensory input, memory, and previous experiences. Each new memory builds upon previous ones, creating a continuously evolving personal reality that differs from person to person. This explains why tastes, beliefs, and worldviews can vary so dramatically between individuals.

The discussion emphasizes practical applications for developers and professionals, highlighting how recognizing perceptual differences can improve teamwork and collaboration. By understanding that our perception is just one of many possible perspectives, we can work more effectively with others who may see things differently. This awareness helps prevent conflicts and fosters better communication in development environments.

Cottrell concludes with the core principle: remember that your perception is not necessarily the same as someone else’s. This simple but powerful insight encourages humility, empathy, and more effective collaboration in professional settings where diverse perspectives are essential for solving complex problems.

Recommendations

Concepts

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — Mentioned as part of the host’s journey to understand anxiety and mental health, which led to insights about perception and how our thoughts shape our experiences.

Services

  • Linode Cloud Services — Sponsor of the episode offering Linux cloud servers starting at $5/month with 1GB RAM, 10 data centers, hourly billing with monthly caps, 24/7 support including phone support, native SSD storage, and 40-gigabit internal networks.

Topic Timeline

  • 00:00:00 — Introduction to perception and being wrong — The episode opens by questioning what it means to be wrong, particularly when our opinions are wrong. Host Jonathan Cottrell introduces the principle of perception and connects it to his personal experiences with anxiety and cognitive behavioral therapy. He sets up the central question: why can perceptions differ so dramatically between people?
  • 00:01:40 — How perception affects daily work — Cottrell transitions to practical applications, asking how differences in perception affect day-to-day work. He emphasizes that everyone’s experience of events differs slightly, even with minor variations like physical location. This sets up the discussion about how perceptual differences impact collaboration and understanding in professional settings.
  • 00:03:55 — Sponsor segment and returning to perception theory — After a sponsor message for Linode cloud services, Cottrell returns to the discussion about perceptual differences. He mentions that there’s substantial theory behind perception and promises to share his personal understanding of various theories. He emphasizes that perception is based on multiple factors and is something we actively create rather than passively receive.
  • 00:05:07 — Memory’s role in shaping perception — Cottrell explains that perception extends beyond immediate sensory input to include memory. Our memories allow us to build a coherent picture of the world, and each new memory modifies previous ones in a continuous feedback loop. This cumulative process explains why people develop such varied perceptions, beliefs, and tastes over time.
  • 00:06:22 — Practical benefits of understanding perception — The host discusses why understanding perceptual differences matters. First, it helps us understand our own perceptions better—why we have certain thoughts, beliefs, or reactions. Second, it enables better collaboration with others by recognizing that our perspective isn’t the ‘gold standard’ but one of many valid viewpoints.
  • 00:07:41 — The core principle and conclusion — Cottrell summarizes the principle of perception in one sentence: remember that your perception is not necessarily the same as someone else’s. He thanks listeners and the sponsor Linode, reiterating the promotional offer. The episode closes by encouraging listeners to apply this understanding in their development work and collaborations.

Episode Info

  • Podcast: Developer Tea
  • Author: Jonathan Cutrell
  • Category: Technology Business Careers Society & Culture
  • Published: 2018-01-15T10:00:00Z
  • Duration: 00:08:26

References

Podcast Info

Transcript

[00:00:00] What does it mean to be wrong?

[00:00:07] Specifically, what does it mean when our opinions are wrong?

[00:00:12] In today’s episode, we’re talking about the principle of perception.

[00:00:17] This is related to the previous episode of Developer Tea.

[00:00:21] I revealed to you all that I and many other people in my family and my close friends,

[00:00:28] we deal with anxiety, anxiety issues.

[00:00:32] This has led me down a path to understanding cognitive behavioral therapy and similar subjects

[00:00:39] around mental health, but it also has helped me to understand what happens when I am wrong.

[00:00:49] Why is it that my perception and your perception can disagree?

[00:00:56] That’s what we’re talking about.

[00:00:57] On today’s episode of Developer Tea, my name is Jonathan Cottrell.

[00:01:01] Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode.

[00:01:03] I’m really excited to talk about this subject because, you know,

[00:01:07] perception is such a huge part of how we live our lives.

[00:01:11] If you take a random sampling of 100 people and you ask them how they see a particular event,

[00:01:19] a public event, you might get similar answers, but everyone’s perception will be slightly different.

[00:01:27] Everyone’s experience is slightly different.

[00:01:30] Even if they simply have a different physical location from another person,

[00:01:35] that changes their experience.

[00:01:36] So how does this affect our day-to-day work?

[00:01:40] How does a difference in perception, how can that affect our day-to-day work?

[00:01:44] And more importantly, how can we change so drastically our opinions from another person?

[00:01:50] How can they be so different from each other?

[00:01:53] We’re going to talk about that in just a moment, right after we talk about today’s

[00:01:56] incredible sponsor, the Apple Podcast.

[00:01:57] Let’s talk about our sponsor, Linode.

[00:01:58] Linode has been sponsoring DeveloperTea for quite a long time now,

[00:02:03] and we’re so thankful that Linode has continued into 2018 to sponsor DeveloperTea.

[00:02:08] You know, they’re going to be a regular sponsor, and, you know,

[00:02:12] it takes time to get through all of the things that Linode provides

[00:02:15] because they really have such a long list of things they do.

[00:02:20] They are most well-known for their Linux cloud service.

[00:02:24] You get Linux in the cloud.

[00:02:26] You get a Linux server, and you can get one starting at $5 a month.

[00:02:31] That’s a gigabyte of RAM for $5 a month.

[00:02:34] They have 10 data centers, so there’s high availability, and they have hourly billing

[00:02:39] with a monthly cap on all of their plans and all of their add-on services, their backups,

[00:02:44] node balancers, and long view.

[00:02:46] And they have 24-7 friendly support.

[00:02:48] They even have phone support available.

[00:02:50] So if you want to actually talk directly to a human, you can do that.

[00:02:54] 24-7 support.

[00:02:55] 24-7 support.

[00:02:56] It’s kind of unheard of, right, because having someone who can help you

[00:03:00] in the middle of the night on the weekend, that’s a huge value add.

[00:03:05] They have native SSD storage, 40-gigabit internal networks, Intel E5 processors, and a lot more.

[00:03:13] And we’ve only scratched the surface on what Linode is providing.

[00:03:17] By the way, they’re hiring.

[00:03:18] If you want to go and check out what it looks like to work at Linode,

[00:03:21] you can go to linode.com slash careers.

[00:03:24] But if you just want to become a Linode customer,

[00:03:26] or even if you just want to check Linode out,

[00:03:29] go and check it out by going to linode.com slash developer T.

[00:03:33] You’ll get a $20 credit when you use the promo code developer T 2018.

[00:03:38] That’s developer T 2018, all one word, at checkout.

[00:03:42] That’s $20 worth of credit.

[00:03:44] That’s four months of free service on that 5-gigabyte plan.

[00:03:48] You also get seven days money back guaranteed.

[00:03:52] Again, linode.com slash developer T.

[00:03:55] So we’re talking about the differences.

[00:03:56] In perception, the differences between one person and another,

[00:04:01] how that can affect perception.

[00:04:04] And there’s a lot of theory that drives this discussion.

[00:04:07] And I’m going to present my personal understanding of a conglomeration of theories.

[00:04:14] And hopefully it’ll be helpful to you.

[00:04:16] Of course, you should take the time to look into this yourself if you’re interested.

[00:04:20] But there’s a lot of things that affect perception.

[00:04:23] Perception is based on multiple factors.

[00:04:26] As we said in the previous episode, our perception is something that we create.

[00:04:32] We kind of build the world around us.

[00:04:35] And to kind of prove this idea, if you are looking at your computer screen,

[00:04:41] or maybe you’re looking at your phone, or maybe you’re in the gym and you’re looking at the mirror,

[00:04:46] do you know what’s around you?

[00:04:48] Could you explain everything that’s around you?

[00:04:52] It’s difficult to say exactly what is around us.

[00:04:56] Especially when we’re not paying detailed attention.

[00:04:59] And however, we do know the general shape of the room that we’re in, for example,

[00:05:04] without having to look at it again.

[00:05:07] Part of the reason for this is because our perception is not limited to a single factor like vision.

[00:05:13] It’s also limited to, or it’s expounded on by, our memory.

[00:05:18] Our memory allows us to build up a picture of the world around us.

[00:05:22] Our memories, our experiences.

[00:05:25] And…

[00:05:26] It’s the fact that our memories are actually modified by memories before those.

[00:05:31] So our experiences continue to build on top of each other.

[00:05:35] And this is why we can have such varied perceptions.

[00:05:39] Our perceptions of the world around us, our beliefs, our thoughts.

[00:05:44] All of this is mixed together into a continuously evolving version of yourself.

[00:05:52] When you access a memory, or when you create a new memory,

[00:05:56] it’s built on top of all of those previous memories that you have.

[00:06:01] So this is why we have such different perceptions.

[00:06:04] This is why we have different tastes.

[00:06:05] Why we have widely varying ways of viewing the world around us.

[00:06:11] Widely varying beliefs.

[00:06:13] It all comes back to this very simple fact that each of us has an individual experience.

[00:06:19] And it’s important for us to note this for a lot of reasons.

[00:06:22] The first reason is because it helps us understand

[00:06:26] our own perceptions better.

[00:06:29] In other words, we can start looking at our own experiences

[00:06:32] and recognizing why, for example, we may have a particular thought.

[00:06:37] How we came about having a particular belief.

[00:06:42] Why we view somebody in a particular light.

[00:06:45] You know, why we avoid certain memories.

[00:06:48] Why we gravitate towards certain other memories.

[00:06:51] All of this we can kind of begin to analyze from…

[00:06:56] a distant perspective, and instead of saying that, you know,

[00:07:00] our taste is the gold standard, or our perception is the gold standard,

[00:07:06] we can start viewing our perception as one of many.

[00:07:09] And this allows us also to work better with other people.

[00:07:13] This is going to be incredibly important as you continue working as a developer,

[00:07:18] because the people around you are all going to have different perceptions.

[00:07:22] And it’s important that you recognize that your perception,

[00:07:26] won’t necessarily align with theirs.

[00:07:29] Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode of Developer Tea.

[00:07:32] I’m very excited to share this episode with you.

[00:07:34] I’m looking forward to your comments and your discussion around this topic of perception.

[00:07:41] You know, the principle of perception is very simple.

[00:07:44] If we had to state it in a single sentence, it is,

[00:07:46] remember that your perception is not necessarily the same as someone else’s.

[00:07:51] Remember your perception is not necessarily the same as someone else’s.

[00:07:55] Very simple.

[00:07:56] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:07:57] Thank you again to Linode for sponsoring today’s episode of Developer Tea.

[00:08:00] With Linode, you can get started with $5 a month.

[00:08:05] You get four months for free, $20 worth of credit.

[00:08:08] Head over to linode.com slash developer tea.

[00:08:10] Use the code developertea2018 at checkout for that $20 worth of credit.

[00:08:15] Thank you so much for listening and until next time, enjoy your tea.

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