#perception is reality

[bb-feelings]

How does perception affect our daily lives?

Does the way you perceive yourself affect the way others perceive you?

How do you perceive others?

[abimbonamedcarmenthabaddie]

I am making choices from who I see myself and desire for myself. I am not making choices thats gonna go against what I say and show I want. I make decisions to benefit my growth and happiness. I have the ability to manifest and overcome anything.

I want to become a bad bitch. A bad bitch that does what she says she is gonna do. Today is day two of my 2 day liquid water fast. I am making the choice to not eat when i said i wasnt gonna eat. I am making the choice out of the perspective and the choice to be who I want to me.

If i cannot do what I say I will never do anything. The power is in the tongue and If I cannot accept myself and become better than yesterday I will never recreate my life. I am that bitch and focus on the good and not the bad. I choose to be well and know im blessed. God knows i am a blessing to people who look up to me and want to be better than yesterday.

I choose to know and stand in my power. Darkness cannot overcome the light if you dont let life fill you up and overpower the dark and transform and show out and create the happiness and kindness and showing darkness the light will conjure the light.

I know my worth and put myself first. And stop letting circumstances and people matter. My choice is in the new belief I am overcoming my obstacles. My mind is not gone to control me. My mind is working with me and not against me. Focusing on the persistence of overcoming negative thinking and monkey mind and not being okay with where my mind is even if its uncomfortable. My mind is find being uncomfortable now because it always work in my favor. So today I am not worrying about not feeling perfect im just showing up for myself and accepting where I am and knowing every second of the day I change my moon and adjust.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale's Analysis: To be Hero X. Perception is Reality

To be hero X is a new show on Crunchyroll and I have been swept up into the intriguing plot.

A world where hero's powers come from the Trust the public has in them. The main character, Lin Ling finds himself going from a nobody who was ready to walk off a building, to replacing the famous and loved hero, Nice.

Nice is the poster boy of perfection and a rising star in the Hero world, but after he decided to nose dive off a building, he needed to be replaced for the sake of NOT having a scandal.

Lin Ling now must be as perfect as Nice is perceived to be.

And it is during this that Lin realized that he has become the hero he so desperately wanted to be.

Miss J, (the woman that basically made him the replacement) points out how he is now Nice, and that it doesnt matter what happened to the previous one, as to the rest of the world, Nice is still here. He is Nice. He even notices that some of his personality started to change as he took on Nice's persona, from the way he speaks and even his habits like being more of a neat freak. Because thats how the Public perceives nice.

It reflects how our culture often will lie and manipulate things in order to make a more palatable story to the masses. The power comes from the people, as is true with all things, if one doesnt have the support, they will never succeed. And if people dont believe something to be true, than it wont be.

What the masses perceive is what is agreed upon as true. Even if it is not the truth, what is decided upon as the consensus is seen as what is true. Thus, Perception IS Reality.

This is seen especially in Episode 2, Where Moon explained how her powers work. Because of the fans wanting her and Nice to be together, her powers to warp will only warp to bring her to him, no matter how much SHE doesn't want to. It also shows when Wreck, who was Nice's actual best friend IRL, but arch enemy in perception, realizes the truth and knows Lin Ling isnt nice but it doesnt change anything as the people still think Lin Ling is the true Nice. What the people close to him though meant nothing compared to the masses.

But back to Moon, It is only when the fans think she died, and Nice (lin ling) convinced the fans to pray and hope for her freedom, did her warp gun allow her to warp to a place she actually wanted to go.

The world of To be hero X is shaped by what the people perceive as true. Thus bringing forth, Perception as Reality.

Now the funny thing though, is that a Lie may be perceived as true for a while, but the Truth always comes out. So the question is, How will Lin Ling react when the truth about Nice comes out?

[sitwithme-undertheappletree]

Snow White, 1937

[fiamat12]

RE: Linked for clout

I got a private message asking me to explain why, in my opinion, A would need to be linked to L for work, so I thought I'd drop it here for others who may be curious...

The perception or agreement is that A be linked to L as his girlfriend for notoriety and to boost her image. If she's just a friend, it doesn't work. Right now, the majority of people pay attention to her because they think she's involved w/ L. "Following" is very important for celebrities/ performing arts, and she's trying to build her social media following, in particular - if you get enough followers on there alone it can be a money maker but one can also keep building and become an influencer (not saying this will happen for her, just noting the possibilities - and I do believe she was considering it as she did a few make-up tutorials or GRWMs in the past).

Also, if she looks like she's a big deal (or even a small big deal) w/ clout, people will want to hire her. People hire those who have a following and/ or if they know people will buy something or watch something because of that celebrity/ talent. If she's not w/ Luke, she loses most of her following/ clout, people won't pay attention and she will be less likely to get work. (I know, I know it all seems to be backfiring anyway because there are so many hate comments on whatever she promotes 🤦‍♀️, but that's the idea of it, at least)

As for Lukola coming out, L doesn't have to break up w/ A because he not once claimed her nor said she's his girlfriend. Yes, it was the power of suggestion and the gossip rags ran w/it as they did w/ N and JD, but ultimately, in both cases the adjacents were (really) just friends who are new to the industry and Lukola was helping to boost their profiles...

Idk how N is going to explain why she said she & L are "just friends" but I guess she can chalk it up to a Zendaya moment - or some of you have said she technically didn't say that she and Luke ARE just friends, only that she knows fans hate it when she says that... ehhhh... imo, she'll just have to take a hit for that one, lol - like all her other overcompensations (We're really keeping that one a secret! I really bounced back! Girl.)

⏫️ Soulmate energy

[vhen-harel]

What Story Shall We Tell? Solas and Perspective

I love exploring characterization, perception, and bias inVeilguard - especially through Solas.

His character, like the particle-wave experiment, exists in infinite possibilities until observed, collapsing into a single interpretation shaped by our individual perspective. The variability of world states alone ensures no single personal definition of Solas can ever be complete.

Instead, Solas himself asks: what do we believe about him, and how much of that belief is shaped by the lens through which we choose to view him? 

“And what story shall we tell now?”

Look at him, smiling with that question - so aware, so amused by the endless parade of perceptions about him. That sexy little smirk knowing perceptions will shift again and again.

Through Inquisition and Veilguard 

For players first meeting Solas in Inquisition, he could be many things: a mysterious and thoughtful apostate, a philosophical and introspective figure burdened by sadness, or an arrogant, holier-than-thou bastard. Some players chose friendship or romance, while others couldn't wait to punch his smug face. Inquisition introduced Solas as a companion first, leaving us players to interpret him on our own terms. 

In Veilguard, Solas steps into the role of antagonist, a figure burdened by guilt, hubris and regret, his actions monumental and dangerous. For new players, this mythic trickster god is their first impression, while returning players see an evolution of the character they thought they knew. Those who loved his philosophical insights and moments of vulnerability are now confronted with a hardened, darker version of him. Those who disliked his arrogance feel vindicated, their disdain seemingly justified. And some players who once found him annoying, now find themselves drawn to him.

What’s so interesting to me is how Veilguard retroactively reshapes how we view Inquisition. Suddenly, we’re looking back at a game that came out 10 years ago. Time itself can shift perspectives. How have we, as players, changed since we first experienced his story 10 or even 5 years ago? How do we interpret him and his actions differently now, knowing him in Veilguard?

Game Mechanisms

I think that’s what I enjoy about these two differing gameplay mechanics - Inquisition and Veilguard both play a role in shaping how we perceive Solas.  

In Inquisition, Solas’s role as a companion allows players to form a direct, one-on-one relationship with him, spending as much time with him as they choose. His identity (the identity the game wants us to know) is revealed in real time, through dialogue and experiences. When his identity as Fen’Harel is finally unveiled, the moment has impact. For some players, it might shatter a bond they had built with him. For others, it confirms their dislike, while for some, it intensifies their fascination with him. 

In Veilguard, this game mechanism shifts. Players encounter Solas primarily through Rook’s interactions and fragmented memories scattered throughout the game. We as the player are asked to examine Solas through layers of filters. Rook’s dream/meditative state in talking to Solas creates ambiguity. Are they authentic communications, shaped by Solas's intent? Are they distorted reflections of Rook’s own thoughts and biases about Solas? Or are they manipulated by external forces, like blood magic or the Fade itself?  Players are left to interpret this how they want - some finding these conversations deliberately misleading, while others dive deeper into symbolic meaning, seeking hidden truths.

Solas’s Fragmented Life and Regrets 

Adding to this complexity are Solas’s regrets, offering glimpses into his past, incomplete and subjective. Painted from his own perspective and from memory, these murals are infused with emotions providing only a window into choices he has made. Their meaning is further filtered through the observations of Rook and their companions (us).

Solas’s immortality and his life in ancient Elvhenan are equally elusive, revealed only in these fragments and Solas's own words or codexes. The murals offer an incomplete and biased picture of his past. It is impossible to fully understand this being whose life spans millennia.

Solas’s New Design Is Shaping Our View of Him 

Even Solas’s visual design in Veilguard plays into these themes, highlighting how aesthetics influence bias. His polished, imposing new look projects authority and allure, contrasting sharply with the unassuming apostate we met in Inquisition. His “glow-up,” making some players more drawn to him - even if they disliked or didn't find him attractive in Inquisition.

Changes in posture, clothing, and visual cues evoke entirely different emotional responses. His new design might compel players to subconsciously reevaluate him, raising questions about how much of our perception is shaped by his appearance versus his actions.

Returning to Solas’s question - “What story shall we tell now?” - perhaps the answer lies in accepting that no story can fully contain him. And that is what makes him so delicious.

[determinedcloudchaser]

Multiple "Personalized" Khonshu theory, Perception as Reality.

Do anyone remember the multiple Jesus' in the show American Gods? Where many interpretations Jesus' end up being created based on the background and customs of different nationalities that worship Jesus? There is an American Jesus, Korean Jesus, Mexican Jesus, etc.

Each country have their own view and perception on what "Jesus" should be, and since non of them could agree on what Jesus is, they end up introjecting themselves.

They all agree that Jesus is the "nicest man you know". All of the Jesus' all are since he is purely based on that phrase, but appearance wise, their experience and life influence the creation of their "Ideal" Jesus. Here it is an idea brought to life by the collective masses.

I'm partly sure the Khonshu Marc was talking to the whole time is an introject of all the authority figures Marc have faced in his life. And if you look at most of them, they are not exactly ideal. Like his mom, his dad, his former CO.

Khonsu is still real, but it's like looking at a cloud or a haze of smoke, or that blue vs black dress. You are seeing what you want to see, and that makes Khonshu real. But also how YOU see him to be real, one will say he looks like this while the other will say he actually looks like another thing. So a mix of being incorporeal but also existing.

In a way Marc is subconsciously projecting all of them to the "Khonshu" he is talking to, as his "ideal" boss. Marc is that self-hating, wanting retribution to a point that his ideal authority figure is an amalgamation of most of the bosses he had in the past.

Which is another reason why Khonshu is so toxic, that way Marc can just but the burden on to Khonshu than blame himself.

To Marc who is raised in a Monotheistic Household, a god is the ultimate authority figure. Marc's perception of that authority figure is eventually conditioned from his experience. Nature vs Nurture.

Most of the authority figures he had are toxic such as his experience with his parents, so with that reasoning, a God, the ultimate authority figure is also abusive and toxic.

And Khonshu is also Egyptian. In the Passover, they are told as the main adversary of Moses. That may have influence Marc's view on an Egyptian Deity to not be a Child Healer famous for curing a foreigner princess after his statue was brought to her. According to the tale, It was so well-liked that the Foreign King refuses to let the Khonshu statue go back home. Until the King got a dream of a burning city with a falcon rising from the flames, flying towards Khonshu's main temple. Khonshu is sometimes depicted with a Falcon head or just a large Falcon. The God literally threatened to burn down the King's kingdom if he is not freed.

Marc does not know this tale at all, he is more familiar with the Exodus than Ancient Egyptian mythology.

If you were told stories that vampires or say, all Japanese & German people are pure evil due to World War 2 as a child, it can carry on when you reach adulthood and affect how you see them unless you learn to question your own ideals.

Khonshu is acting like a dick since Marc is internally and subconsciously forming Khonshu to be a dick. A bit like a scapegoat too since Marc don't want to blame himself anymore, he needs someone to blame for all the bad stuff in his life so he projects the worst to Khonshu. Marc can just say that it is Khonshu's fault for commanding him than put the burden to himself.

But to one who have no such trauma or background, an authority figure does not match Marc's view.

This calls back to what imaginary Dr. Harrow said about Perception and Reality.

A Pen to a dog is not a writing instrument, but a chew toy. Humans are the only ones who see the Pen as a writing instrument. To other species it is either useless or a stick. Our view does not match other's.

Another example would be the Glass is half empty/half full.

To an optimistic person it is full, but to a negative person with guilt it is half empty. Another would be looking at clouds or an Ink blot test, each looker have a different view and opinion on what they see, and each are different.

If one have a really, really bad experience with dogs. Their perception of all dogs would not be the cuddly companion who is loyal to you for life, it is as a ruthless killing monster from the depth of hell.

To one who grew up with dogs and played with them constantly, their view would not be as a monster but as an equal who is kind.

Perception and interpretation was conditioned by their experiences.

Look at the way Khonshu acts infront of Jake, who do not have the self-hating trauma Marc have. Jake seams far more controlled physically and mentally. A bit rageful but he knows how to keep it check and release it on the right moment than going berserk and letting it disrupt his facade. As a result Khonshu acts very formal and oddly more polite, siting straight in a white suit and not slouching, He calls Jake with a word of neutral endearment than a direct insult. There is a clear difference on how he acts.

Jake have a different perception on how Khonshu should dress and act. And the God reacts to it accordingly, like each have their own personalized "Khonshu".

Steven don't count yet as his perception didn't sink in enough to have a profound effect on Khonshu. Most of his view is pretty much based on Marc's. He will need more time to have his own opinion independent from others than a biased interpretation.

But we already saw it slowly seep in when Khonshu calls Steven in is full name in front of him and not as "worm". If anything Khonshu never calls Steven as "worm" in front of his face for too long, only when the God is talking to Marc.

Steven is always telling people to call him by his full name. And it seams that this influence Khonshu in the end when the God calls him that. Steven got more comfortable with the suit, by extension accepting Khonsu's powers. And this as a result maybe opened a two way street that made Khonshu influenced by Steven's desire to be addressed with his full name.

I don't know if this influence also applies to the other Gods who are not banished. Khonshu is a completely different case since he was essentially kicked out of the Ennead and the Overvoid.

But then It beg's the question on what was Arthur Harrow's ideal version "Khonshu" when he was Avatar. Khonshu probably didn't like it since he essentially fired Arthur in the end.

[ask-runaan-anything]

I understand that moon magic can mean illusions to fool both the eyes and other senses. But once the illusion itself becomes tangible, why is it still considered an illusion and not transfiguration?

I'm no mage, little shadow, but I've seen - and tasted - such solid illusions before. Moon magic cannot create something out of nothing. Whatever you perceive is just a trick of the senses.

No matter how tasty that moonberry surprise seems, it's still secretly made of vitaminleaves. Moon magic cannot change this. It can only make you perceive that it has.