This story is one of my personal favourites and comes in handy while taking a session on perception.
The story of a window…
A couple of days after a young couple moves neighbourhood, the woman looks out the window of her dining room as they are having their breakfast and sees her neighbour hang the wash outside.
“The laundry is not very clean. Maybe, she needs a new detergent,” she observes.
The husband looks out and back at her but remains largely silent.
This ritual of them having breakfast at that particular time coincides with the neighbouring woman hanging her wash continues for the rest of the week. Each time she would make the same observation and every time, it would not elicit any response from her husband.
One Saturday morning, the woman is surprised to see nice, clean wash on the line and makes a comment to her husband, “Look, she has finally learnt the art of washing clothes! I wonder, who taught her to wash ?”
The husband said, “I got up early and having time in my hands cleaned our window!”
****
And so it is with life…It is our perceptions that make us see what we see or be what we are. We often make remarks without finding out if it is our lens that is faulty… unclean? Or it could be what we want to see. Being judgmental is our default mode when we jump to our conclusions. When we see a child throwing a tantrum, we automatically question the parenting skills.
What is perception?
The dictionary meaning says it is an awareness that comes through your senses and the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.
The word itself derives from Middle English percepcioun (meaning “understanding”) and Latin perceptio (meaning “gathering,” “collecting,” or “receiving”).
One of the greatest worry about perception is stereotyping – the most predominant quality of perception that makes us generalize. Recently someone was bemoaning the fact that her late mother who was rather over-weight was only asked to reduce by all doctors rather than diagnosing the inherent problem.
We look at a fat person and believe that they either eat too much or exercise too little. We look at slim person and come to the conclusion that they must be fit.
A person driving a red car is immediately slotted as a flashy person.
On the other hand, if you like a person, nothing he or she does can go wrong for you can only see the halo around the head ( Halo effect). Unfortunately, these kinds of perceptions can lead to distortions and lead to biases.
Like a boss who appreciate a person sitting late rather than one who does his work within the 9 -6 time frame. Or someone talkative is considered to be quite shallow rather than the quieter personality who is expected to know more or the one who is an introvert is not given a platform to air out her opinion at meetings.
Have you ever been surprised by the way someone else sees you? We have had people saying something that we know is not true at all…It is there perception of you.
If a “perception” problem is dogging you, remember that a simple adjustment in your own thoughts and behavior might be just the springboard you need to a whole new way of seeing your body – and yourself.
It is quite amazing to realize that our energy and abilities impact our perspective. That is the reason the day seem to stretch at the fag end of the day. Being hungry/cold/ or simply uncomfortable can impact our choices. Loneliness can affect our stance as well as emotions. It would be good to be mindful of all the above.
I had published a short story of two neighbours. It was published in a magazine called New Woman –The tale of two easy chairs.
Do stop by for it shows it is definitely necessary to clean our windows.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
Image credit: From net on story of the window..perception
Image Credit: Mathias Reding: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clothes-hanging-beside-a-green-concrete-building-12649649/
23 comments
Indeed this is a very powerful story about perception. No wonder it’s your go to story for the topic. The thoughts you expressed further are equally powerful.
I loved the simplicity of the story and the deeper message it carried about judgment and perspectives. Sometimes all we need is a little clarity, and your wrote that beautifully.
What a beautiful reminder to pause and check our own lens before judging others. The window story really hits home. It’s so simple, yet so powerful. Thank you for this thoughtful piece!
Loved this. It’s a sharp reminder that we all filter reality through our own lenses. The story of the window is simple yet powerful. A great prompt to question what we assume we see.
Perception can be so misleading and contrary. I smiled when I read that the silent husband cleaned the window, and she found that the laundry was done well. There are always many sides to a scenario. The unseen, unheard ones could be far from what we have perceived. It is always good to be mindful of what we say out loud.
A simple interesting story with such a profound message. “If a “perception” problem is dogging you, remember that a simple adjustment in your own thoughts and behavior might be just the springboard you need to a whole new way of seeing your body – and yourself”- This is really a powerful way to deal with perception. Thank you for this wonderful reminder!
I have heard similar stories about a mirror being unclean and making a woman feel she was not pretty something on those lines.Whatsoever was the story , the message is very powerful .We need to reflect a lot before passing judgement aloud over someone.As you rightly said, our lenses could be fogged by our own trauma or instincts or deprivation.
Loved how meticulously you explained perception in this story. It is very much required to mend our ways before judging others.
Wow Chandrika, this story gently tugged at something deep. It’s amazing how something so simple, a windowcan reflect such a big truth. Made me pause and wonder how often we judge without cleaning our own lens. Beautifully penned
A wise lesson that we need to be reminded of again and again. Loved this story and how beautifully you explained it, and perception, to us.
This is such a simple, yet meaningful story- a life lesson indeed. We are always too quick to judge before even knowing our own selves.
Such a beautiful reminder that sometimes it’s our own lens that needs cleaning. Loved how the story gently nudges us to pause, reflect, and question our assumptions before passing judgment.
Absolutely love this. Quite often it’s our perception that forms the opinions and judging
What a powerful reminder that our view of the world is shaped as much by the frame as the glass! I really resonated with your examples of perception biases ; they made your message tangible and relatable.
You nailed it, Chandrika. We often rely more on perceptions rather than the actual truth, and that is where we falter. It’s even worse when we rely on other’s perceptions on people and come to conclusions.
That’s an interesting topic to discuss. Perception is subjective and people need to accept that what they perceive about others can be prejudiced or based on incomplete facts. Take time, collect info and then maybe form an opinion. Too much effort though?
You are absolutely right. If you like someone, you will let go of 100 bad things about them. If you don’t like them, even one is enough. It is our perception and not how things are.
Your window metaphor is so clever and made me rethink how often our own view can be a bit off.
If perception can be changed, so can be the reality!
Chandrika ji this is so so true and that’s a reality of life… perception can make or break many thought process in life. Many a times a check on our perception can makes things look better to us…. clarity increases
Love how you use your simple story to raise awareness of our own perception.
The shortest yet most elegant plot twist I read. So beautifully penned loved the blog!
This piece really got me thinking. I’ve seen how easily our perceptions can cloud reality—especially in relationships. Your story is a gentle, powerful reminder to pause, reflect, and look beyond the surface. Beautifully written!