Stuff happens in the world, we observe it via our senses and process the data. This is a mechanistic description of our relationship with the world, as set out in 'How you see the world: representative realism'.

However, it doesn't go very far in describing the experience of being a human being. These things that happen are coloured by our emotions and the meaning of the events. Whilst the same number of bits of data is observed by the eyes whether you are staring at the wall or on a rollercoaster, the experience is wholly different.

Something key to note is that the emotional overtone or meaning is not a property of the objects or events in the world. This is where language plays a trick on us. We might say that the rollercoaster is exciting, but what we actually mean is that the experience of riding on the rollercoaster is exciting. The rollercoaster itself is just a set of tracks.

I might say that because Bob got arrested that he is bad. We are apt to merge the fact and interpretation together, but the fact that Bob got arrested is separate from our interpretation that he is bad. He might also be considered unlucky, framed, disadvantaged, etc even with exactly the same set of facts, just with different human interpretations. Stuff happened: Bob got arrested - I interpret it: he is bad; two separate items.

Our development as human beings revolves around observing the world around us and noticing patterns. We then use these patterns to help us interact with the world. A simple example: we observe that when we put our hands in a fire it hurts, so we learn not to.

The same mechanism can form any kind of habit in someone. For example, I observe that when I make myself vulnerable amongst my peers I get hurt emotionally or physically, thus I learn that to save getting hurt I should always be on the look-out for attack.

However I could learn this habit when I start school aged four. Now in my late twenties I have the same habitual interpretation. Someone approaches me to ask something - my reaction is defend, defend!

They're not really attacking me, but I make their talking to me mean that. In my mind the two get rolled together, and this is why this concept is so important - the two are separate - there are the facts, and my interpretation of them.

Knowing this helps you to become reflective over your reactions and choose new responses.



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