We live in a mechanistic universe with a limited range of senses at our disposal. So it’s understandable that people get things wrong. There’s just no way to have all of the facts all of the time.
Bias exists, and we’re all party to it. Cultural, historical, political, personal lensing – these past experiences and the views of peers have a powerful sway over how we interpret and filter information.So we cast different meanings on the same set of events.
The nervous system enforces solipsism. How can I know that you see the colour red the same way I do? Or that what I hear when a train passes in the night is the same sound as what you hear? I can’t. There’s no way. It’s built in.
It helps to know these things. People can’t help but view things differently, because they are different.
This matters with mental health because as a person living with bipolar, there are times when people don’t get it. And that’s fine. They don’t have to.
So it helps to be aware of the difference. It means I can deal with people who don’t get it. My imagination lets me empathise with them, without necessarily agreeing with them.
I can cross the void. Then, instead of trying to change their view, or convincing them of a certain perspective, I can just work around them with a minimum of fuss.