Alex overheard these voices from Tom’s house for last three days:

Why don’t you just leave Stella? How many times do I have to tell you the same thing? Oh, don’t bother about Tina, you are not taking her with you at any cost. I won’t let you! Don’t have any doubts, we will manage quite well without you. Now you are leaving or you want me to force you out?

Over hearing such voices coming out of your neighbor’s house, what will you perceive about Tom?

Looks like Tom is a real cruel fellow who is being very harsh with his wife, Stella. He is telling her to leave the house and not allowing her to take her only daughter Tina along with her. Haven’t you perceived this image in your mind already? Well, Alex too had perceived the same and had started hating Tom from the bottom of his heart!

The next day, while in the supermarket Alex saw Stella, Tom’s wife, who looked just fine. Looking at Stella, Alex was a little surprised but still approached her to extend his support and inquire if she needed any help!

Alex invited Stella for coffee in the supermarket cafe and Stella obliged. During the conversation, Alex shared what he had heard and expressed his concern. Stella gazed at Alex in surprise and then put her hand on his hand across the table and smiled 🙂

Thank you Alex for your concern but what you heard and what you perceived are not aligned!

Tom is not a Villain but still my Hero!

What Stella said shocked Alex and might shock you as well……

That’s right that me and Tom have been arguing for the last 3 days; that is also true that he denied me taking Tina along but do you know where was he telling me to go? Well, I had given an audition for a role in a theatre group and forgot about it. Recently, I have received an offer from that same group to join them for a 3 month long world tour. So Tom has been forcing me to live my dream and join the troupe. He has been assuring me with love that it is a life time opportunity and that he will be able to take care of Tina in my absence. Do you still think…..

While Stella explained this she had tears of love and respect for Tom truly visible in her eyes.

What happened to your perception? Did it not take a swing? See…. how perceptions can change!

Hmm…. Coming to the point my friend. Sometimes, by overhearing a conversation or just by having a little glance, we tend to perceive something which could be so much away from the real truth.

Please restrain from making opinions about your friends, peers, relatives, office colleagues or neighbors with little information you have, as the truth may be very very different and you may end up harming their feelings and even their social standing, unknowingly.

What we perceive is what we emit and our friends and followers blindly believe and accept our opinions and perceptions! Don’t they?

It can be really harming to the receiver as our perceptions can influence other people to form their opinions/ perceptions as well. Thus, one misunderstanding can have a disastrous effect on the image of a person or a situation!

Coming back to our story, Alex was sorry for what he perceived but also thankful that he met Stella well in time that gave him an opportunity to clarify his doubts and mend his perception about Tom.

What do you think Alex would have done if he had met Tom instead of Stella in the supermarket that day? Well, believe me, he would have continued to retain his perception of Tom as a cruel husband and would not have spoken to him at all. Do you agree?

This is what we do most of the times! Once we have a negative perception about someone, we try to close our doors on them, without giving them any chance to explain their behavior! A coin has two sides to it, right?

Do not let one sided information become a perception. For your own good and also for the good of the receiver, please make informed decisions and form well balanced perceptions after analyzing all facts. If you are not sure, just say that you don’t have enough information to form an opinion rather than sharing your opinion.

We are humans and what others think about us, matters to us a lot, my friend! So please have a heart!

To conclude: Do not judge based on half information. Either don’t have an opinion but if you want to take a stand, then, it is a must to listen to both sides of the story with an open mind. Be mindful of sharing your perceptions, if you are not sure, as those who believe you, will make their opinions based on yours! Thus, be responsible!