# Seeing Things For What They Are

When we form an opinion, we tend to forget how much of it is constructed by 
our own experiences. People might share the same reality but see and live 
in different worlds. The ones that see reality more accurately will be more 
flexible and go through life more efficiently. Most of our cognitive biases, 
such as the spotlight effect, are related to the same idea. This also 
undermines how we deal with global issues such as child mortality where some 
can feel at ease with accepting it by attributing it to overpopulation for 
example. Even though one of the better ways to combat overpopulation is by 
actually reducing child mortality as it statistically makes families decide 
to have fewer children. I use this specific example because our ability to 
rationalize things using our own intellectual lens through which we see the 
world can separate us from reality or even make us act inhumanely. By 
looking at reality for what it is and realizing that these children might 
as well be our own, or our little brother or sister for example, we develop 
a better and more accurate worldview which brings about a clearer moral 
compass.

We can often find ourselves stuck in an impossible situation just to 
realize that the solution is right in front of us. We have the tendency to 
make things more complex due to all the concepts we are conditioned to 
apply to our perception. No matter how well constructed our paradigm is, 
reality will always set the rules. And by not imposing our worldview, we 
can save ourselves a lot of trouble. Once we start adopting this outlook, 
a lot of our opinions become irrelevant and what is left is a clear view 
on how to best cope with the reality presented. Instead of dwelling on 
past events, we start to let go and move on.