Perception is a funny thing.
I've always wondered at how the exact same event can cause such different reactions in two different people. After all, it's the same event. To the impartial universe, it's a single action, and yet, it can be completely life-changing for different observers.
An extreme example is the murder of a loved one. To you, who loved him, it can be sad and heartbreaking. To the person who killed him, it could be relief, even happiness, if he viewed him as an evil person. Or, if accidental, the murder could cause guilt and remorse, and plague that person forever.
Most people experience (and quite often suffer from) these differences in perception. Some, like Buddhist monks, have developed a mastery over their knee-jerk reactions to situations, so that they, instead of being subsumed by their emotions regarding an event, embrace the experience, rejecting all interpretation of good and evil, right or wrong.
But, the extreme example of murder is rare. In day to day life, we find ourselves experiencing and interpreting thousands of events every day. From words in conversations, to mundane things like traffic, or the attitude of a clerk at a store, there are hundreds of little interactions with people and the world around us, each with the potential to make or break our day, depending on our perception of that event.
I've also wondered if we choose our friends because they interpret events the same way we do, and therefore create more sharable or relatable experiences. And, I've also wondered how two people who care for each other deeply can find themselves estranged, solely because of their different views on similar circumstances.
As Masons, we are taught many things that can improve the quality of our life in this area. We learn to subdue our passions, those passions which can drive apart friendships over trivial things. We learn to educate ourselves in grammar and rhetoric, skills which enable us to communicate effectively, and thereby cut through misunderstandings. We learn to compassionate with others, and let brotherly love drive our friendships and relationships. Do these teachings make us immune from the effect of the difference in perceptions? No. But, just like everything else in Masonry, and in life, the more we strive to increase our knowledge and wisdom, the more we are able to weather the turbulent winds that buffet us through life.
With Brotherly Love,
David Sylvester
Senior Warden