Episode Title: Perception is Reality (Part 1)
Welcome back to "Just Two Cents," your weekly dose of real talk and lighthearted fun. I'm your host, Eric Ebron, and today we're diving into a topic that's both mind-boggling and entertaining: perception is reality.
How "Advice will relate" segment:
Today we're diving into a topic that's a little spooky, and a little silly: The Illusion of Reality. We're about to take a wild ride through the twists and turns of our own minds.
The Illusion of Reality
Ever feel like you're living in a simulation? Okay, maybe not that extreme, but we all know that feeling when we completely misinterpret a situation. It's like our brains are playing a game of telephone with reality, and the message gets a little garbled along the way.
That's the thing about perception – it's our filter, our lens, our very own pair of reality goggles. But sometimes those goggles get a little smudged, and we end up seeing things that aren't really there.
It is OK to have a bit of skepticism of what's there but the important thing is to cultivate a healthy skepticism – not a full-blown conspiracy theory kind of thing. You can still have that little voice in the back of our heads that says, "Hold on, Ebron, are you sure you saw what you think you saw?"
Playing Hide-and-Seek with Reality
Now, this whole illusion of reality thing can be pretty hilarious too. Like, have you ever been absolutely certain you saw someone out of the corner of your eye, only to turn around and find... nobody? It's like playing hide-and-seek with your own senses.
Or how about those times when you're frantically searching for your keys, swearing you just had them a second ago, only to find them sitting right there on the counter? It's enough to make you question your sanity.
Our brains are wired to make sense of the world around us, but sometimes they take a few shortcuts. They fill in the blanks, connect the dots, and create a narrative that might not be entirely accurate. It's like a magic trick and our brains are the magicians, and we're the easily fooled audience.
The Curious Case of the Ninja Sock Cat
Speaking of fooled, let me tell you about the time I thought a kid was running across the highway at night. It was about two in the morning and after a long day of work and then partying, I probably shouldn't have been out.
It was late at night, and I was sure I saw a shadowy figure darting across the road. I pressed the brakes hard and performed a small swerve to avoid the 'perceived' kid.
The real issue happened when my roommates woke up and was preparing to brace for anything but when I shared to them what I 'saw', there was no evidence to corroborate the story.
Turns out, exhaustion can create your worst nightmares. Yeah, I know, I know... it probably wasn't exhaustion but in my defense, it was really dark out, and I really thought that I saw the kid.
The whole thing was pretty embarrassing, but it also taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes the most logical explanation is the right one. That was a time that I couldn't convince them of my reality because there wasn't enough evidence.
When we explain our issues sometimes, we can't really describe the reality in a way that others can see it. So when the people in our lives attempt to give us advice, they are looking through their lens... not ours... and the advice can be waaay off!
Outro
Tease next weeks podcast: Alright, folks, that's all the time we have for today. Next week, we pick back up with Perception is Reality talking
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.