“Perception is reality.” At least according to some. If someone perceives that they look too fat, too thin, or too anything, this is their reality, no matter how others might see them. If a person perceives some other group as dangerous, treasonous, or demonic, this is their reality. If they perceive their own as virtuous, patriotic, or godly, this is their reality, no matter what the evidence might show.
What we perceive to be true is powerful stuff. We’ve heard people say, “Everyone knows he did it. We just can’t prove it.” I’ve often said, “He probably did it, but good luck proving it.” Yet, in court, evidence matters, even though sometimes perception takes over and the wrong man is convicted. Sometimes Barrabas is pardoned while an innocent man is sent to die.
Some insist that “manifesting” a thing can make it happen. Apparently, magic happens often enough that many people perceive cause and effect. I perceive talent and hard work are usually the keys to anyone’s success.
I have argued that the zeroth principle of critical thinking is to examine our own thoughts. We all have blind spots. We all perceive things that are not objectively true or are not fair even if they contain a grain of truth. Therefore, we must question what we believe and why we believe it. If we merely accept what we have been told or seek to confirm our biases, we will fail the foundational principle of critical thinking. If we can’t think critically about our own thoughts, no amount of reason, facts, or evidence will convince us that perception is not reality.
Reality is hard. It’s complex and nuanced. It does not conform to ideology or party politics. So, we must be careful about declaring that what we perceive to be true is also true for everyone. We must avoid using our perceptions as talking points. Just because a popular personality receives an eight-figure contract does not mean the economy is going well for others. If the stock market is over 50,000, this is good news for the top 10% of Americans who own 93% of the stocks, but not so much for the bottom 50% who hold only 1%.
It’s easy for some to claim this is a “golden age.” It seems to me this is like worshipping a golden calf, an idol that offers the perception that prosperity can be brought about only by following certain men, and that somehow a golden age can be announced in advance. I’m sure some people perceive this is a golden age (for them at least) but much evidence suggests it is the opposite for millions of people. It might turn out to be more of an age of lead, because unemployment, inflation, lack of food, water, fuel, and basic commodities as well as insufficient health care and opportunities for young people are just as toxic as lead to any society.
In the past, golden ages were recognized in hindsight, and all of them were only partially golden. It took a few centuries to formally acknowledge the Renaissance. If some prince had heralded the “Age of Rebirth” in the 14th century, he likely would have been laughed out of his castle. It seems clear enough that if we want a golden age, we need to do the things that could help bring it about, such as investing in new technologies, infrastructure, and the arts. It would also be a good idea to keep our warlike impulses under control.
There is an excellent book entitled, “Why Nations Fail,” by Acemoglu and Robinson. In a nutshell, they provide two basic reasons. First, a failing nation has weak governance: rampant corruption, inability to secure property and other citizen’s rights, incompetent leaders and institutions, and so on. Second, a failing nation has an extractive economy: too few citizens participate in economic, technological, and productivity gains, national resources only benefit those few, and there is little hope for upward mobility. If this sounds like any nation today, we need to follow the money and see if this is more than just a perception.
Any announcements of a “golden age” are certainly premature and most likely pure propaganda. These could be wishful thinking or self-aggrandizement or just plain perceptions that do not match reality, unless one’s reality is measured only by those who are members of an extremely elite economic class. So, it might be a “golden age” if you already have a lot of gold or other resources, otherwise it might be an “age of lead” covered in gold paint.
MurrayWorks 