Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice and other wrong perceptions

"There is an universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object, those qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by a natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, ascribe malice or good- will to every thing, that hurts or pleases us." --David Hume

Consider this quote along with the definition of "pareidolia" (a psychological term I recently learned):

Pareidolia is a type of illusion or misperception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being perceived as something clear and distinct.

Essentially, we see what we expect to see. What we hope to see. What we want to see.

Thus, as the quote warns, clouds begin to look like animals or faces. No harm no foul. But, what does it mean to take it to the next step: To not only perceive what we expect/hope/want to perceive, but to actually assign "malice or good" to those things that please or harm us us?

Celebrities become heroes. Money becomes an idol. Food becomes a comforting friend...or a hated enemy.

On the Eve of Election Day, one must consider how pareidolia affects our own perception of the candidates and how, "if not corrected by experience and reflection," our perceptions might be unjustifiably and/or unhealthfully skewed.

A Prisoner of War. An eloquent orator. A black man. An old man. A woman. A hockey mom, no less. A maverick.

Possibly even more dangerous than the connections we make to the campaign and media-spun attributes assigned to candidates, are the ones that we assign ourselves. We must remember: A candidate who looks like me, acts like me, is registered like me, has a family like me, attends the same church as me...is is not necessarily like me. And, such similarities do not make the candidate a good person, a good candidate, or a good president. I'm not suggesting we disqualify our background/beliefs in our voting decisions. I am, however, suggesting that we be careful about ascribing good onto those like us. Because maybe we're not always right. And, because maybe this election, this nation, is bigger than us.

No matter how well you may separate truth from perception, it's important to realize that we are all susceptible to this "universal tendency" of skewed/ascribed perception, especially as a nation. Just ask Joe the Plumber.