Dealing with Subjective Interpretations of Reality

"The essential matter of history is not what happened but what people thought or said about it." --Frederic William Maitland

"History is but a set of lies agreed upon." --Napoleon

The philosophical discussion about the nature of reality, perception, and experience is not one that I can add much novel thought or creative understanding to; the philosophers and thinkers of the annals of history have beaten that proverbial horse to death. Yet, I would like to perhaps discuss the impact of what I think is a necessarily subjective interpretation of reality.

I myself am not a subjectivist, whether in the field of ethics, epistemology, or metaphysics. There does seem to be a philosophically inconsistent case for a truly subjective reality. However, we each perceive that objective reality differently as a result of our nature as finite beings. Absent omniscience, each of us falls prey to the restrictions of our own senses, which often deceive us.

As I observe the interactions I experience each day, and the interactions of others, I find increasingly that there are tremendous disconnects in the human experience. Just this morning, I awoke to 21 emails at work about a relatively obscure contention over business cards. Five people were communicating with each other over email and had six quite distinct interpretations of what was actually going on with the issue. In my relationships with friends and family, I have begun to notice that the same event is not only interpreted in divergent manners, but even perceived extremely differently. Certainly I am not the only person to notice this, but I find it curious that although it is a widespread phenomenon, we do very little to remedy it.

People's temperament causes them to approach such different interpretations of the world in different ways, too. I am naturally prone to "correct" others' views of situations, but because I know this about myself I attempt to be more sympathetic. But that alone does not ameliorate the impact of the dichotomy.

It does not seem that there is an adequate linguistic solution to the problem, and that the solution lies deeper beneath the surface. I am never going to be able to explain my particular interpretation of reality in a manner sufficient to cause somebody else to suddenly understand my perspective since that person is even going to be interpreting the input of my words in a way other than my precise intention when I spoke them.

Upon recognizing this utterly disagreeable situation, it behooves us to come up with some sort of solution, albeit imperfect and perhaps piecemeal. I propose a movement toward genuine community. In order to understand, we must first know that we do not understand. For it is in the comprehension of our own finitude that we are humbled, and in that humility we can begin the healing process with our fellow humans.

Community is an environment that is safe. Community is a place where people can express their deepest emotions, most ardent dreams, greatest desires, and sincere worries without fear of judgment. It is a place where people need not fear making a mistake, or the reprisal that comes from a slight misstep. The rules in community are merely that people be loving and kind.

This genuine community should exist everywhere: in the workplace, amongst friends, in romantic relationships, families, and everywhere people interact. It is in community where healing can and will occur, and it is my hope that we can all find this healing in our lifetimes.