The Conflict of Perception: Subjective Reality

The subjectivity of reality and the origin of misunderstandings

The Conflict of Perception is one of the most common sources of dispute, since the problem is not what happens, but how the same event is interpreted.

Two people may witness the same situation, but will interpret it completely differently, based on their own subjective reality, past experiences and prejudices.

A comment that was neutral to one person may be deeply offensive to another.

Similarly, a decision that one sees as a business strategy may be experienced as a betrayal by the other.

Most conflicts, in fact, originate from misunderstandings, where our mind attributes meaning to the behaviors of others without confirming their real intentions.

The main causes of a perception conflict include lack of information, ambiguous communication, hasty judgments and prejudices that already exist in people's minds.

In addition, if a person is stressed, he or she is more likely to interpret an innocent comment as a personal attack, which exacerbates the situation.

To prevent conflict from escalating, it is critical to recognize that we cannot read each other's minds, and that our assumptions, while sometimes correct, may also be biased or completely wrong.

Resolution strategies: ask, clarify and verify.

The key to resolving a perception conflict is not to debate who is right, but to clarify the facts and seek the truth behind the interpretations.

To achieve this, it is essential to follow a three-step process:

Observe the behavior objectively: Instead of focusing on what you think, feel or opine, focus on the facts and hard data of the other person's behavior.

Challenge your own interpretation: Acknowledge your interpretation of the situation and ask yourself if there might be other ways of looking at what happened.

Ask to understand: Instead of assuming, ask open-ended questions in a spirit of exploration and curiosity, with the genuine intention of understanding the other person's perspective.

By asking questions, you ask the other person to clarify their behavior and explain their intentions, which can eliminate the misunderstanding at its source.

This type of dialogue is more constructive and allows you to deal with the real problem and not your perception of the problem.

To avoid escalating the conflict, you can use phrases such as: "When you interrupted me, I interpreted that you did not value my opinion.

Do you think this is correct?"

By separating behavior from interpretation, an opportunity for communication an