‘The world will ask you who you are and if you do not know, the world will tell you.’
Carl Jung
We all share a narrative to the world about our identity or the identity which we believe is expected of us.
Nevertheless, for me, the path to release the layers of ego and expectation, and to reveal my truth and my authentic nature, lies in understanding, ‘Who I am not.’
I heard a story the other day about a study they did with a group of people to monitor and expose Perception Bias.
The “Scar on the Face” study, formally known as the Dartmouth Scar Experiment conducted by psychologists Robert Kleck and Angelo Strenta in 1980, is a landmark study in social psychology that demonstrated how expectancy bias shapes our perception of reality.
Perception Bias is the subconscious distortion of our reality and who we believe we are, or need to be, in order to be loved and accepted.
It reveals and interprets information based on the stereotypes, beliefs, or personal experiences we have learned growing up, and how it affects our judgement.
In this particular study, a make-up artist placed a disfiguring scar on each of the participant’s faces, which went from the ear down to their mouth. The participants felt quite overwhelmed when they saw the scar in the mirror, and then they were asked to socialize with a group of strangers.
When they returned, all the participants reported a high level of social discomfort, anxiety, and judgement which they said they felt by the people they met.
However, just before the participants went out to socialise, the make-up artist told them she was applying moisturiser to secure the scar, but instead she wiped off the scar completely, unknowingly to them.
This experiment really highlights how powerful our internal thoughts and our self-consciousness perceptions are as we move out into the world each day.
And so, in conclusion I asked myself, ‘What scars am I carrying unconsciously, and how is this separating me from connection, stability, and the fullness of all life?
May we all release the stories that hold us back from being the brightest versions of ourselves! 🌈
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
This is a fascinating study, Karen! It’s such a simple and creative way to help people see the power of their thoughts and beliefs! 🤗💜
I have never heard about this 1980 study before even though I have long realized how the lenses researchers (and others) look through significantly affect what they see. Or, as a Sufi story that seems to have been removed from the internet points out, “you will only learn what you already know.” Biases are powerful and often invisible, and they matter a lot for researchers, especially those who believe “objectivity” is possible.
“Doing research is, in many ways, like taking a descriptive and explanatory snapshot of empirical reality. For each particular photograph, the investigator must decide what kind of camera to use, what scene on which to focus, through which filter, and with what intent.” ( Benjamin F. Crabtree and William L Miller, eds., Doing Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1999), 3.)
It’s helped me be aware of the lenses I look through and be honest with readers about the person behind what I say. They have a right to information about authors that will help them assess the trustworthiness of what they read. It’s something that’s increasingly difficult to figure out these days!
Thank you for sharing such a fascinating topic in such a thought-provoking post!
I love the Sufi quote you mention, ‘You will only learn what you already know.’ It’s so true. I’m grateful for the people who take the time to study, investigate, and gather the wisdom and information we need to break the illusions we are fed each day. And yes it is increasingly difficult to figure out these days.
Thank you Carol for the work you have done and continue to do to inform us, and to contribute to the beautiful tapestry of life. 🧡🌈🙏🏻
Thank you for the wisdom and kindness you continue to share, dear Karen. 💜🪶🌻
You always present the most thought provoking and interesting posts, Karen to where I learn something new. I find Carl Jung’s quote to be so true in my life. Perception Bias I think is something many of us have experienced. It’s taken me my whole life to figure out who I am and who I’m not. But even though most of my life I was lost, I’m so glad I’m figuring things out and realize it’s an ongoing process that won’t end until I am no more. What’s interesting is that as I’m figuring me out, I am helping others (I hope) along the figuring out trail too. Thank you for another great post.
Thank you Michele. It’s so true. We will continue to unfold the layers of illusion and truth until we are ‘no more’ and I do believe as we reveal this together, we are helping each other grow, heal, and be seen in our true light. I appreciate your comment 🙏🏻💜🌈
Maybe that’s why we’re here.
I absolutely believe that 🧡🌈