Do You See What I See?

Turns out that I wrote down the wrong number on the package that got the scanned label sent to a different city. It finally arrived at the correct home, probably because someone in the USPS was doing their job, read what I wrote AND intended for the city, and got it to the right destination in spite of what the scan indicated. Lesson learned, however. I really need to be more careful.

Later, I worked to finish the 24" square mini quilt for a SSSwap in my partner's preferred colors of Lime Green, Pink and Turquoise. Hmmm. The Lime Green shows up differently in this pic, however matches the Lime Green in the Turquoise print. Hmmm. All three of the fabrics here have dots which sold me as the coordinating factor when I was in the fabric store. My partner told me she likes these non-traditional colors, so I did my best when shopping. I selected a darker Teal-turqoise for the binding that felt like it tied the others together. The Pink is a fabric with very fine lines of Red & White.

Is nothing what it seems? I knew I could trick everyone's eye with this Red & White and they would see Pink. I knew it because of my experience over time.

When I was a kid, I remember asking adults in my life if we all saw the same things, like colors; or if we just all named what we saw with a word that everyone simply called it the same ...and then saw the thing differently. I know that is hard to grasp. 

How more simple to understand that people see the world differently from each other. Right? Needless to say, most of the adults around me had no answer that would have satisfied me. Over time, I learned that what I wanted to know was simply the difference between objective and subjective observations. 

Yes, I was "one of those" who never stopped asking why a jillion times all the time, and drove everyone around me crazy.

I read the zip code in my address listing wrong last week. I saw an 8 where in fact, it was a 6. The PO clerk keyed in my zip code but not the city I put on the box and made the bar code that went on the package. She didn't look beyond her task, and I didn't check for my intention. My fault. Now I know better.

There are all sorts of scientific means for observing data and coming to conclusions that provide empirical evidence. 

What I know is that 8's and 6's are solid objects. An 8 is an 8 and a 6 is a 6. Object/Objective.

And Lime Green, while you can see it in this photo and know what I am calling or naming it to be, the color Lime Green will look different to everyone and is subject to any number of factors that range from facts to emotions & perceptions. Subject/Subjective.

Go into a paint store looking for that color and you will come home with several paint chips that look different in morning sunlight than they do under lamplight. Everyone sees the world differently and makes choices based on what they value. It doesn't mean one color is right or wrong. It is simply different. And being different is ok. We go for what works for us and learn as we go.

That is a mighty simple way for me to define the differences between Objective and Subjective theories. But its what I got for now.