Processing and Interpretation

Interpretation is a funny thing. If I were to write something and have ten people read it, it is entirely possible all ten will take away something completely different when processing the meaning.

There are many factors to HOW we interpret the information coming into us.

I tend to believe that the date and time of our birth is no accident and has everything to do with pre-birth planning to ensure certain attributes are present in the characters we are about to play. We set it up so that we have specific personality traits to better help us have the experience we are looking to have and/or to aid us in completing a mission we agreed to take on prior to stepping into physical form. Regardless of what you believe about astrology and the influence of the cosmos on us, when we are born, we each come in being hardwired in specific and unique way.

Chemicals and hormones all play a factor in how we process things in our brains. So everything including the food you eat, the air you breathe, the water you drink, the chemical exposure you have in your environment, sun exposure, medications affect how we interpret. Fluoride is a neurotoxin and is in our toothpaste and the drinking water for many people. Many cities are highly polluted so the air can be toxic. There are preservatives and dyes in food. There are preservatives and aluminum in personal hygiene products that can disrupt hormones. The level of activity you have and where you do said activity can have an impact on our brains and how we process.

Add into that mix every single experience we have ever had in our lives. And oh, hey, let's throw in some past life baggage you brought with you to this life. Even if you have had similar experiences to another, it will affect us all differently. Think of siblings in a family who all suffer the same abuse and see how differently they each are affected.

No two people are identical in how they process and interpret. Each person is a unique cookie recipe. You can use the same ingredients in slightly different amounts and come up with some very different results. Textures, flavors, and colors will be different.

Vector - Photo by Dan Mountford

We are a sum of all our parts. That sum determines how we process information and that sum is always changing.

With this in mind, is it any wonder that I could write something and one person sees it as harsh and pushy, while another person might see simply honest forthright expression. One person gets their feathers ruffled while the other person doesn't see it as a big deal. Maybe the person it was intended for even respects and appreciates what I wrote while the other wants me to alter my behavior and change how and what I say. Not everyone will process the same written words exactly the same way. Some are going to hate it, some are going to love it, and some will have no idea what you are even talking about.

It would be an error to assume that everyone will interpret exactly as you do. I mean, isn't this part of the reason we have so many misunderstandings since social media became a thing? It is VERY easy to interpret what you are reading in a voice that was not intended by the author. You might read me as angry when, in fact, while I was writing, the voice in my head was earnest and heartfelt.

We can't walk around trying to be people-pleasers, second guess ourselves or second guess everything we say and do at every turn. We just have to be exactly who we are without fear and without regret. If we please ourselves by being completely authentic to who we are, then we have done something right.

As Chris Cornell sings...be yourself is all that you can do.