Unfiltered Senses

It seems a part of being human
The urge to reinforce
The things we believe
By the evidence we see or hear.

We are skillful in that task
Using our ability to be selective
In what we notice
To filter our observations.

If we believe in conspiracies
Then it is conspiracies
That we will see
Hidden in every corner.

If we believe someone is ignorant
Then it is stupidity we hear
In everything they say
No matter what they say.

If we feel the world is out to get us
Then we will surely be right
And will take justified offense
At all the wrongs against us.

If we think we know
This is how certain people are
Then we will find ample evidence
To support our claim.

If we want to discover
What the world is really like
We need to curb our tendency
To distort our senses.

Unfiltered senses are the key
To unbiased observation,
Effective listening,
And genuine communication.

Through transformation
We develop awareness
Of the filters we have
And barriers between us.

With that awareness
Comes the possibility of choice,
And the opportunity to bridge the gap
That alienates us from humanity.