Handling Reality

Communication Creates Psychosocial Reality

We live in the reality that is created by the what we think and say. This was discovered by the sages of early civilizations some thousands of years ago. For Judaism in the Sefer Yetzirah, for Hinduism in the Vedas. Mostly the message did not sink in. But today it seems that many more are grasping the significance and power of thoughts and speech in constructing reality.

Thoughts are communications we make to ourselves. It follows that each of us lives in a slightly different reality. But those thoughts lead to communications to others. As a result, we participate in families, organizations, groups, communities and societies created by what we think, say and write.

So each method for using language has potentially profound implications and ramifications in how anyone makes sense of themselves and their surroundings.

Issues associated with the intrinsic uncertainty of reality will be looked at through the prism of each method:

• comprehending communications about reality
• agreement on communications about reality
• ambiguity in communications in relation to reality.

What is Reality Really?

L'1: Concrete method takes it for granted that things are as you can directly demonstrate that they are by immediate actions. Words are used to describe actual things and operations on those things that can and should be directly and precisely followed when necessary.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehending this action reality merely requires concentration and a need to provide or to follow instructions.

Agreement is essential here. If there is uncertainty, increased specificity and detailing is required. There may be more direct reference using scale models or better photos or cut-away illustrations or finer measurements &c.

Ambiguity is therefore a sign of error and simply not allowed. Paradox is not an issue.

L'2: Associative method takes it for granted that reality is a common-sense matter, and things are more or less as I assume and expect them to be. Words, meanings and actuality seems so similar and natural that each virtually becomes the other in your mind.

There is something fundamental here. Each of us must link words (linguistic symbols) that we use with our own experience (subjectivity, awareness) and also with perceptions of the world (objectivity, sensations)—otherwise we simply cannot understand what is being said. Other methods strive to disentangle and manage these requirements.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension is based on continuing participation within the relevant group. The simplest comment may be little more than an idiosyncratic reference suitable to the moment with just one or a few persons who are present.

Agreement is implicit. However, a sense of agreement may be more important than actual agreement. In general, uncertainty and vagueness is not an issue.

Ambiguity, if identified, is dealt with on a case-by-case basis until there is satisfaction. However, ambiguities are glossed over more often than not.

L'3: Conceptual method enables a group of people to lay a claim to knowledge of a particular part of reality, their field, where they have thought and studied hard and long. Developing and sustaining such an incomplete but substantial social consensus on reality needs discipline, rigour and training. The goal is to remove subjectivity, personal biases, and field-specific sources of error. What results is a paradigm that is regarded as making sense of the field.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension of any communication involves immersive training, virtually an indoctrination, in the conceptual schema used by the group.

Agreement is sought and is central for the core understanding of the field, but disagreement is allowed and viewed as essential for progress.

Ambiguity is removed as far as possible by defining terms. If the nature of knowledge development has generated ambiguity or revealed a paradox, then that becomes a task for inquiry sooner or later.

L'4: Universal method takes for granted that everything is as everyone is brought to believe that it is. Rhetoric is the royal road to persuasion and social leadership. There is a preoccupation with social goods and social evils, and sharing broadly similar perceptions.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension of the realities under consideration flows from socialization within that society.

Agreement is actively desired and sought, without necessarily being based on praiseworthy motives or having beneficial effects on society.

Ambiguity and paradox are used for rhetorical and persuasive purposes. Otherwise such matters are viewed as confusing and distracting, and therefore get screened out.

L'5: Gestalt method affirms that things exist for us as we imaginatively experience them to be. Without heightened imagination and emotions, we cannot sustain a full awareness of human reality. The created communication is a space that must be entered through a willing involvement before comprehension is possible.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension typically requires an inner sensitivity and possibly varied life experiences. Sometimes reading around the artistic object or engaging more actively with the artist's viewpoint is needed.

Agreement depends on entering into the spirit of the artistic communication and is a form of sympathy or empathy.

Ambiguity and paradox are regarded as intrinsic and natural aspects of life experience. Artistic effort may identify and highlight such uncertainties to enhance realism and focus attention.

L'6: Logical method is based on the assumption that the essential nature of reality can and must be observed, formulated and ordered, prior to generating theories or investigating specific fields. Only formulae can connect us directly to the essences of things, which is why natural sciences must be based in mathematics and logical formalisms.

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension of fundamentals is possible for anyone, but only via self-discipline and significant effort.

Agreement and disagreement are both necessary for a constructive dialogue because it is not possible to get essences and formulations correct at the first attempt.

Ambiguity and paradox are identified. If a product of confused thinking, they are resolved in the sense of being removed from consideration. If inherent in the phenomenon, they are formulated and thereby resolved in the sense of being deeply understood e.g. Gödel's proof.

L'7: Mythic method assumes that an Absolute Reality exists beneath or beyond the illusion that is experienced as normal reality. This Absolute Reality can only be accessed using images, which are sometimes unexpected phenomena but often are fantastic or dream-like and have no correlate with anything that exists or is possible.

There seems to be a mythic realm. It is found in the language of dreams and religious cosmogonies and mythologies. Jung referred to this as the «collective unconscious».

ClosedHandling uncertainty:

Comprehension is aided by familiarity with this realm through reading relevant literature, heightening awareness, and meditating.

Agreement is possible but often irrelevant. This may be because the image is absolutely true, or because the content is so puzzling and amazing, or because it may need to speak to each person differently.

Ambiguity and paradox are inherent, and commonly useful for communicating essential truths.

Originally posted: 5-Jan-2013. Last amended: 10-Feb-2023.