😒 Cognitive perception

We all experience the world through our senses - seeing, listening, smelling, tasting, and feeling. This is called cognitive perception. Another aspect of cognitive perception is how we deal with the information we receive from senses. Our individual cognitive perception influences how we respond to people, assess risks, and behave in different settings. We use our personal experiences and our ideas of what is "normal" to assess the responses and behaviors of others. But we all experience the world differently. Making judgements about people who do not perceive the world the same way we do, can have serious social ramifications for the person we judge. Labelling someone as "not normal" and questioning their ability to perceive reality "correctly" can make them vulnerable to marginalization, stigmatization, and bullying.

What can you do?

Avoid using words related to sanity and mental illness to describe people or situations. Try to give context instead, and focus on describing actions and impact. This way, you communicate more inclusively, show respect, and people will better understand what you're saying.

😔 The event planner? They're insane.
🤗 The event planner? They're suggestions are too expensive, not to mention impractical.

😔 We had a cray cray weekend
🤗 We had an unexpectedly busy weekend.