We only see what we want to see

I've been thinking about how it's human nature to see what we want to see and ignore anything that goes against our expectations of how things ought to be, or how we want things to be. We'll miss something that's staring us right in the face if we don't want to see it.

Human brain is fascinating. Whether it is words on a page, pictures on a wall or evil in our midst, too often we choose to see not what's right there, but what we hope or expect to see. Often, the warning signs of trouble are all around us, there to help us, if only we'd choose to notice them.

There's always a conflict within us over the warning signs of trouble bombarding our attention, and what we'd rather see. We're intelligent and yet so often, our choices are driven by how we think things ought to be, and not by the truth that's staring us in the face.

I'm not immune to this myself. I just recently make the same mistake and receive the big penalty ticket. Initially, it seems so much easier to see what we prefer to see, rather than face the unpleasant truth of what's actually there. Still, what I've realized is that no matter how difficult it is to acknowledge the signs of trouble in our relationships or environment, it's always better to do so.