Perception of Public Issues

What should be done to enhance our understanding of publicissues? Part of it is caused by a difference in perception when considering them.

Both you and I look at a tree. What do we see?

I see a wide trunk covered with bark. It is approximately 20feet tall with four or five main branches covered very densely with skinny,long leaves.

You see a tree that if the trunk were just a little shorter,you could climb that tree like when you were younger. It’s an excellentclimbing tree. The branches are close enough and thick enough to support eachstep to the very top. However, once the top was reached, you would probablysway back and forth a little because those branches are not as thick.

Someone from the “cut down trees and turn them into paper”industry might take a look at the tree and immediately see the potential for5000 lbs of paper.

The tree in each of these instances is exactly the same. Itis the lens with which the tree was viewed that is different. And when thiscommunication reaches others, it is communicated with respect to the templatethat it was originally seen. If the goal is to tell others what I saw, thenthat is perfectly fine. To me, I saw a tree that would be nice to climb (forexample). However, it becomes problematic if my goal is to tell others of atree in a way that would allow them to see it for themselves (as you and Idid).

The tree that exists there is a good climbing tree. That ishow I describe it to others, and that is all of the information that they receive.But what about the bark and density of the leaves? What about how much papercan be made from the tree? All of this information gets lost in thecommunication. It is not just important for the communicator to be aware ofthese biases (to enhance the message). It is also important for the receiver tobe aware of these biases so that they demand a cleaner message. However, inorder to be aware of these biases, each of us must be aware of these processeswith us that lead to the biases. Achieving this awareness will require effortand energy and will not likely lead to a positive view of the self, which are the two combative forces preventing thisawareness.