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How can one’s perception influence decision-making?

Helen
4 min readJun 30, 2024

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Take a moment to observe your current environment. Are you situated in a place that is familiar to you, or are you in an unfamiliar setting? Cease reading this text momentarily and divert your attention to the surroundings that envelop you.

Select an object within your vicinity, perhaps an item that had previously gone unnoticed, and concentrate your focus on it. By directing your attention towards this object, you may observe that it becomes more vivid and tangible than it appeared when it was merely a component of the background scenery in your daily life.

Now, attempt to perceive your surroundings from the vantage point of the chosen object. While some individuals may effortlessly accomplish this task, others may require a greater degree of concentration. Depending on your ability to hone your focus, you might detect a subtle alteration in your perception — a peculiar shift in reality where you find yourself observing the world from a distinct perspective. Regardless of whether you discerned any changes, your perception underwent a momentary transformation. It is crucial to remain mindful of your perception, as failing to do so may result in others shaping it on your behalf.

The manipulation of perception is a powerful tool employed by both marketers and magicians, as well as artists. By skillfully…

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Helen
Helen

Written by Helen

I’m a board member for the Harvard Creative Writing Collective and an outreach associate director for Harvard Women in Computer Science.

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