How to enhance your Personal, Professional, and Business Life?

Ans: Know and understand your perspectives and perceptions.

Ever thought about why you started your own business or became the professional you are now?

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur or professional?

And how are things going for you?

Not great?! So, why are you still in a business or profession you think s not going well for you? 

I might not know your specific answers to those questions, but one thing is true.  If you analyze your responses, they’ve something to do with your perspectives or perceptions.

Right?

Of course, I am….Well, at least not far off.

How did I come so damn close?

Have you ever noticed how many things you find yourself doing started from a particular perspective or angle?

…….Think about it….

Yes?

Then, unconsciously slowly, surely snowballed into a perception-a view, an opinion, a thought.

You can relate, right?

I surely can.

But, before I go any further, and in case you are wondering, what is perspective and perception anywhere?

……Are they the same?

No!

Perspective Definition and Perspective Synonym

Perspective defined “is a mental view or point of view.” As described, it is an angle, a point of observation, a vantage point, or a horizon.

Interestingly, ‘perspective’ is further explained to be “The capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.”

Based on the last perspective definition above, it becomes clear that there are two kinds of perspectives.

(i)  a more subjective view

What Sameer Abuwak might have meant when he said, “Perspective enables us to gain our understanding of the world.”

(ii) the more objective second, which views “things in their true relations or relative importance.”

The kind of perspective that has its own opinion but never rejects others.

It is these two kinds of perspectives, subjective or objective ] leading to your perceptions.

Perception Definition and Perception Synonym

Like so many words, the definition of perception is context-dependent. However, in the scope of this post, it is understood to be “how something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.” What Merriam-Webster dictionary describes as awareness based on observation.

Summarized, perception is what is seen, noticed, and understood. It is your understanding of what you see when you look at something or someone from a particular angle, point of view, or perspective. After that, you form a perception.

As such, perception is a key element of perspective. How you perceive situations, people, and yourself impacts your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

And just how does perspective lead to perception?

Quite like when you come across a blog post for the first time, the fact that the post is unknown to you becomes your perspective. It is from that perspective, you will then engage-preview, skim, and scan through it. Picking out what you see to be keywords and hints to what the blog post is about.

Once that is done and you perceive, see, or think the blog post is worth your reading time, you will decide to read it or not, solely on your perception of the post.

So, if your preview of it led to a favorable perception, then it’s likely you will purposely read it. However, if it did not, then it’s most likely, you will not.

The journey from perspective to perception is a process that, beginning with perspective makes perspective a powerful force. It is perspective that can shape your perception and life in profound ways.

Perspective influences how you perceive the world, interpret events, and make daily decisions. By understanding and harnessing the power of your view, you can unlock new possibilities for yourself and others-so,  changing your and their lives for the better in the long run.

However, the journey from perspective to perception is not as straightforward as it sounds. Perspective must compete with other factors, doors if you will greater than it.

It is they that sometimes determine and at others overrule both your perspective and perception.

And just which doors might those be, you ask?

The 6 Doors of Perception

Well, personal experience and some research reveal 6 doors determine perspective. Default doors to perception, which can stay closed to perspective’s access to perception. They are,

1. context

2. knowledge

3. experiences

4. influence(r)s

5. wisdom

6. confidence

1. How context affects perspective to become a door of perception

While how you see or view something or someone begins with your perspective, it ends with your context.

In published works, context is “the setting of a word or phrase, etc., among the surrounding words and phrases” (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) that helps explain the meaning of a word.

Returning to perspective and perception, context has almost a similar meaning. The only difference is that instead of a word or phrase seeking contextualization, it’s perspective.

For perspective, context becomes “the general conditions, circumstances in which an event, action”

To explain, let’s return to the setting or context of the new blog post example I drew earlier.

There, it’s your point of view (perspective) that the blog post is new to you. Skimming and scanning through it, you see (perceive, perception) that it is worth reading.

However, just as you are about to read it, one of several things happens.

• Your laptop loses power.
• You remember you must work on a presentation due the next day.
• Snookumz comes into the room and wants to play….

In this case, context forces you to choose it over your earlier perspective and perception of the blog post. Your final perception of something or someone is ultimately determined by your context.

So, while from your perspective and initial perception was that the blog post a worthy read, that was before context slammed shut the door between your initial perspective and its perception-to present other perspectives and perceptions.  

2. Knowledge also affects perspective’s walk to the door of perception.

At other times, the extent of your knowledge base will contribute to both your perspective and perception. What you know and how well you know it molds both your point of view and perception.

Let’s take electric vehicles (EVs) for instance. Those who don’t know much about EVs think them lighter than the average car.

After all, they are electric, and electricity is light, right?

Wrong!

Some electric EVs are so heavy they weigh several tons! Sometimes, more than the total weight of your regular gasoline-powered vehicles.

And why are EVs so heavy?

Fascinatingly, it’s mainly because of the very thing that makes them electric-their enormous battery packs.

3. Exposure/Experience Lead to a Linear Perspective and Perception 

It’s believed that, humans are the “total of their experiences.” In other words, you are who you are partly because of what you’ve experienced growing up.

As such, similar to your knowledge, your point of view will be influenced by where, how, and with who you grew up. In my EV example above, for instance.

If you live in a Third World country where EVs are rare, then it’s more likely that your perspective and perception of them will differ from that of someone to who EVs are almost the norm.

So despite the demands and safety dangers EVs might pose, due to your limited knowledge, exposure, and experience, you are likely to make you more appreciative of EVs than someone with more experience with them than yours.  

Consequent to your lack of experience with EVs, most likely, yours will be a one-sided or linear perspective and perception of EVs until you know and have experienced them.

Whereas s/he who has been better exposed and has more experience with EVs will have more diverse perspectives and perceptions about them.

Broadening your horizons is essential to expanding your perspectives.

Exposing yourself to diverse cultures, ideas, and experiences allows you to,

(i) Break free from limiting linear perceptions,

(ii) see things from different angles,

(iii) question others’ perceptions.

By consciously choosing to see things differently – with informed empathy, cultural curiosity, or experiential gratitude, for instance- you can open yourself up to new insights and understanding.

On the other hand, not broadening your perspective allows those more exposed and experienced to become influencers of your perspectives and perceptions.

4. How influencers affect perspective to become a door of perception

Known as role models, at the best of times and influencers, at the worst of times. Influencers, as their title suggests, inspire you to look at, think like, and imitate them. As a result of their impact on society, role models and influencers can impact perspectives and perceptions.

Have or had any such role models or influencers growing up?

Their power to encourage or discourage your perspective and perception about something makes them almost demigods. It is such demigods that some young and old alike believe in and are willing to follow.

At times, even off a cliff.

It is at this point when wisdom becomes necessary.

5. Wisdom-From Passive Perception to Depth Perception.

At times perspective and perception are determined by whether you are wise. Usually described as having good sense, wisdom is actively using your knowledge.

And how does wisdom differ from wisdom?

Miles Kington (1941-2008) differentiated knowledge from wisdom when he said, “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

As such, knowledge is simply knowing without doing anything with it. The result is passive perceptions influenced by outside forces.  Rarely does this kind of knowledge independently have its perspective and reach its perceptions. 

When you actively apply your knowledge and independently do something to arrive at a deeper understanding and view of an issue from your perspective, you are doing so from an active perspective-from your wisdom.

Using your wisdom is to give depth actively and confidently to your perception. 

6. Lack of Self-confidence should lead to Consultation and Depth Perceptions

Passive perspectives and perceptions are sometimes due to a lack of confidence not only in your knowledge but also yourself.

Such a scenario often plays itself out when you don’t think, know, and believe that you don’t have the requisite knowledge or expertise to have an opinion about something. As Henry Ford (1863-1947) said when he said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t-you’re right!”

Remarkably enough, depending on what you are not confident about having perceptions about, there is also nothing wrong in acknowledging such a lack of confidence. It is considered a form of wisdom.

As Robert Brault (1963-) put it, “Wisdom is not what you know, but how quickly you adjust when the opposite proves true.”

So, what would be foolish is taking a perspective of no confidence and not seeking help from those like Comecinc consultants- who are confident to give their perceptions on your current challenges.

At Comecinc, we understand the importance of perspective and perceptions, especially concerning business planning, alternative financing, business strategy, web design, advertising, social media marketing, and reputation management.

As such, consulting with us is primarily about,

(i) assessing a client’s challenge(s) from perspectives other than the client’s,

(ii) working together with the client,

(iii) cooperatively reaching mutual perceptions that have depth,

(iv) in the best interests of both the client and the business.

At Comecinc, our cornerstone beliefs are that

• it is by recognizing the power of perspective and perceptions shaping your life and business.
• embracing new viewpoints by broadening your horizons, 
• that you can unlock untapped potential within
• and positively impact your profession, business, and those around you.

Seeking knowledgeable, expert, and futuristic about your personal or business matter?

No fear, Comecinc Consultants are here for YOU!

Contact us as soon as possible and apply for a FREE one-hour consultation.

Or visit our website and fill in the pop-up form available to apply for a FREE one-hour 1-on-1 consultation with one of our expert consultants.

Till then,

Two heads are always better than one.

Corwin LM

Comecinc Consultants 

Author info:

Corwin L. Mhlahlo is, among others, the Principal Research and Communications Consultant at Comecinc C & SSSS. – a business consulting firm in Johannesburg, South Africa. Corwin has over the years published on perspectives and perceptions in Digital Marketing, Education, Governance, Public and International Relations, Gender, and Identity.