As Told By Nella: Perception

Perception is the organization, identification and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment.

When I studied Sociology in high school, I was introduced to the school of thought of 'Symbolic Interactionism'. A theory posited by George Herbert Meade and Charles Horton Cooley, it focuses on how individuals interact and communicate with each other and within society through the meaning of symbols. The perspective that stood out to me the most however, was the 'Looking Glass Perspective' posited by Cooley. He stated that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perception of others. It uses the example of a looking glass (mirror) to which he ascribes is our perception of society's view of us and as a result of we assume that we see reflected at us, we act accordingly. e.g. People tell us that we're 'nice' or 'ugly' so when asked what we think of ourselves we say 'I'm a nice person' or 'I think I'm ugly' Therefore, we end up shaping ourselves based on other people's perception which leads to us confirming these opinions. A self-fulling prophecy if you wish.

This stood out to me the most because of the Jamaican culture and society. From a very young age, certain characteristics and mannerisms are ascribed to us and no matter how much we grow and change, many people still remember you as such. Some will always be the little fat girl who used to tief sweetie from Miss Brown shop or the bright bwoy who come fuss inna him class. Even when the girl has lost weight, there's still the I remember when she was fat conversations. Added to this is that we tend to act differently based on how each individual sees us. My friends think of me as the life of the party so I can't disappoint. My parents think I'm the quiet brainchild so I act accordingly. My boyfriend/ girlfriend thinks I'm the sweet/hot/smart/amazing/charming person so I act like that towards him/her. But aren't we tired of all the roles? Isn't the most important perception the true one of ourselves? Not the negative puffs smoked into our faces or the simple box that people try to enclose us in but our multi-dimmensional selves.

We are a product of our thoughts. They dictate how we react and how we are perceived. But let me tell you a little secret about human nature. Humans are naturally selfish and in life they are more focused on what they think others think of them to ever truly notice what is going on with you. Perception is a state of mind and not a definite description of who you are. We are dynamic in nature and never a constant state in life. The Jamaican society is set in a certain way but it doesn't have to define you. There is no magic formula or potion to escape other people's perception of you, all you can truly do is to live as you wish, enjoy yourself and be happy. They may ask 'Who are you to be this way?' and your response should always be 'Who am I not to?'

In my opinion my only roles in life are to live it, enjoy it and experience it.