We Perceive the World Through Filters

I was sitting at the pool yesterday with the current book I'm reading: one of those not-well known murder mysteries that someone published because it was a goal in their life probably....you know which ones i'm talking about.

In this little book, however, I came across a few lines that I went back and read for a second time. They were the following:

"Always, the eye sees more than the mind can comprehend, and we go through life self-blinded to much that lies before us. We want a simple world, but we live in a magnificently complex one, and rather than open ourselves to it, we perceive the world through filters that make it less daunting. Complexity implies meaning. We are afraid of meaning."

I started thinking about what this said, and realized that it his very true- in my life anyway. I know I am very guilty of having these "filters." In fact, I probably have a very large number of then. I simplify my life based on what I feel safe with. I tend to pick the expected because the unexpected is that-I do not know what to expect from it so I feel nervous, uneasy.

I also make my world less daunting by making up excuses for many things....sometimes that seems to make things better and less complex. This means usually placing the blame for certain things on myself. "oh the reason they no longer talk to me is probably because they're just too busy, have other things to do....no way its their fault."

I must have missed the memo on this one, but not responding must be the new "it" thing to do. That text message sent 13 days ago...still waiting for a reponse. But dont worry about getting back to me, I wasnt expecting it *sarcasm*

I feel that we tend to pick and choose things that we know will produce good things (or so we think) because we are afraid of other things that we do not feel comfortable with.