Lens of Experience

I find this passage very insightful and reflect on it often in my daily encounters with others.

"Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are--or as we are conditioned to see it. When we open our mouths to describe what we see, we in effect describe ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms. When other people disagree with us, we immediately think something is wrong with them. But as the demonstration shows, sincere, clearheaded people see things differently, each looking through the unique lens of experience."

- Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, p.28-29