Perception: Real or Imagined?

Anger is triggered by a person's perception of an event or a situation. It does not matter whether the perception is accurate or distorted. All that's needed is the perception -- the lens or filter that you look through. Have you ever gotten upset over someone or something, only to be asked, "What are you so upset about? It's not such a big deal!" In those situations, your perception of the situation was different from that of the other person. Likewise, there are probably times when another person has been upset, and you could not understand why he or she was so bothered. It's all in a person's perception.

When you look at life through a rigid or a biased lens, it is difficult to entertain the idea that another person sees things differently from you. You tend to believe that your perception is the real, accurate one and that the other person's is wrong. Such is the basis for many arguments between partners, friends, and family members. The next time someone sees something in a different light from the way you see it, accept that their perception is different. Agree to disagree. Let there be room in your relationships for two opposing points of view.

Unless you're dealing with a life-or-death situation in which the outcome will really make a difference ten years from now, it doesn't really matter whether a perception is real or imagined.