The Objectivity Assumption

Figure 1. Rene Descartes quote on Naive Realism

We often assume that our perceptions are accurate and objective reflections of reality, but they are actually mental constructs shaped by our minds. Human perception has always been an abstraction rather than a direct replication of the world around us.

It has to be an abstraction as we perciove through a lens, the human mind brains build an internal representation of external events by analyzing various features. For instance, our perception of color does not directly mirror reality; instead, colors are synthesized by our brains to differentiate between light wavelengths. This indicates that color is an illusion, and we cannot determine if other animals perceive it in the same way we do.

This assumption of objectivity has been maintained as our brain's model of the world feels real which aids our survival. However, in our new savanna, during the information age, recognizing inherent perceptual biases has become essential. While our perceptions are subjective, this doesn’t mean all perceptions are equally valid or that objective truth doesn’t exist. It simply means we must overcome our cognitive dissonance and actively challenge our cognitive biases to approach a more accurate understanding of the world.