Grade: A-

September 5, 2000

Psychology Seminar

Professor Joe Lappin

Thought Paper: Perception and Reality

Through a series of lectures, Jacob Bronowski takes a deeper look at the nature of human perception and its abilities and limitations. One of the key points addressed in "The Origins of Knowledge and Imagination" is the narrow scope of perception that humans utilize to interpret the world. A person creates his own reality by choosing specific paths to take and pieces of information to interpret. As humans, we have been blessed with a superior mind and senses that allow us to see the bigger picture and process complex ideas. However, as Bronowski points out, humans place constraints on their potential to learn by not fully utilizing all of the God-given skills and talents. Therefore, it is critical that humans approach the world with an open mind and a sense of imagination in order to attain a clear picture of reality.

An underlying theme throughout the first three chapters is the unlimited amount of knowledge and potential present in the world. What humans see as reality is not the entire picture, for there is so much to be explored. Reality is what each individual makes it out to be, and it limits that person from exploring new concepts and ideas beyond his personal realm of knowledge. By shutting out a part of the world, humans remain ignorant about issues that do not impact them directly. But, Bronowski notes that the entire world is connected, and there is an overwhelming source of knowledge and information. It is important to have an open mind because there are so many untapped resources out there, and so many adventures to explore. By realizing that the world is full of endless possibilities and ideas, humans can approach the world with open minds and incorporate issues from all aspects of life into their own lives.

Though the opportunities are unlimited, there are restraints placed on human perception, as shown using the example of vision. The eye can only see so much, for it has mechanical abilities that do not extend to all levels of perception. In order to grasp the total picture, the imagination must be actively engaged. God has given us eyes, for vision, and creativity for imagination. Besides vision, humans have the ability to communicate, listen, interpret, process, and imagine. Putting all the skills and talents together, we realize that humans have unlimited potential to envision new possibilities and make them a reality. Ignorance, however, is the obstacle that stops humans from seeing the bigger picture and imagining new ideas. By breaking down the man made barriers which restrain our talents and abilities, we can see that reality is more than what we believe it to be at any given time.

As applied to my own life, the issues presented by Bronowski are a foundation for my college life. It is important that I realize how much potential I have as an individual, and how many opportunities await me as I begin my undergraduate education. It is an education that is more than just academic, but also emotional, social, and personal. Coming from high school, where others decided what I would learn, I had a very narrow view of education. Now it is my turn to search out all my opportunities, and pick which ones to pursue. By reading this text, I have also come to realize that I am the only one who can set limitations on myself. Therefore, I have to be conscious about how to attain my full potential by not imposing self-made restrictions on my abilities. As I approach the entire scope of opportunities offered at college, it will be necessary for me to examine my view of reality and how I can broaden that scope of perception as I grow.

The mere fact that human perception is limited and knowledge is unlimited brings about many implications for life. It implies that what humans know at this very moment can change by a new discovery, idea, or experience. When Ludwig Boltzmann presented the idea of the atom, his colleagues refused to acknowledge the actual existence of such a structure. Their limited knowledge of the world was changed when they realized that an atom does exist. This goes on to say that there is no limit on how much is possible, for humans know so little compared to how much is out there to learn. The human perception of what is possible is biased by personal experiences and knowledge that has already been attained. However, there are unlimited knowledge and ideas that have not been explored, so humans can technically achieve anything.

The key to envisioning new ideas and getting a better concept of reality is to fully engage human abilities and shed narrow viewpoints. With knowledge and potential at our fingertips, all things are possible because knowledge in essence is power. It is the power to achieve any goal, the power to grasp reality, the power to know ones self and others, and also the power to live a more fulfilled life. The true irony of knowledge is that the more one learns, the more one realizes how little one actually knows in comparison to the vast amounts of knowledge available. So the quest for knowledge and the search for reality will never end, for there is an unlimited amount of knowledge waiting to be discovered and explored.