It is estimated that our brains receive information through our senses, producing four billion neuron impulses per second. Of these four billion pieces of information, we are only consciously aware of about 2,000 — that’s only 0.00005%.
For example, it is happening to you at this moment. Until I mentioned it — right now — you were likely unaware of the feeling of your clothes on your skin. Likely, you were unaware of background noises — that you may now be thinking about. Until I mentioned them — you were focusing your full attention on something else — but now you’ve experienced a mindshift.
Our perception, our unique lens through which we view the world, plays a pivotal role in shaping our reality. It filters out the overwhelming amount of information we receive, a process I call Deletion, Distortion, and Generalization. This filtering process, driven by our perceptions, is a powerful tool that prevents our brains from being inundated with information.
While our brain’s filtering process is a lifesaver, it can also lead us astray. It can cause us to make assumptions about situations that may not be accurate. These assumptions, if left unquestioned, can lead us into the trap of accepting vagueness as fact.
To make matters worse, when we communicate with others, we pass on our assumptions, with the additional assumption that the recipient makes the same assumptions. Our assumptions create gaps in our communication that we expect the other person to fill with the SAME understanding as ours. All too often, because of such assumptions occurring in interactions with others, what is expected is not delivered.
Having spent decades studying perceptions and assumptions, I’ve come to realize that clear communication is the key to effective interaction. When we’re not being ‘concrete’ in our interpersonal communications, perceptions and assumptions can muddy the waters. But when we’re clear and specific, like saying, ‘I’ll see you Wednesday, January 1st, at 11 a.m. Eastern,’ we empower ourselves and others to understand and act effectively.
