Distinguish
Between Fact and Interpretation
As you fly through
the air, free of your old trapeze and soaring from the
peaks of your defining moments, you also must be certain
that the navigational system you use is as clear and
accurate as possible. Our histories and belief systems
can become like a fog around us, making the landmarks
appear in distorted ways or become difficult to even
see. And as any pilot will tell you, having your radar
and instruments in top working condition makes the
flight much more comfortable.
In our case, the
landmarks are the facts and interpretations we take in
each day about our life and circumstances. As much as
we would like to believe that we function each day based
on facts and reality, we are actually operating on our
own interpretations of the facts. By their very
nature, interpretations are colored and filtered by our
internal views, beliefs, fears, attitudes, and more.
Interpretations can even become caricatures of facts.
On one side of the
coin, these interpretations are what give us opinions
and make the world interesting. But on the other side,
interpretations can lead us to make decisions or take
actions that we think are based in fact but may
actually be incorrect or misleading.
Distinguishing
between the two can be critical in achieving your
Vision.
Let’s start by
defining the difference between a fact and an
interpretation. A fact is something that is
indisputable, measurable, and demonstrable – “something
that has actual existence or an actual occurrence,”
according to Merriam-Webster. An interpretation is our
conceptualization of a fact, shaped by our individual
behaviors and beliefs – “one’s own conception or
translation of…,” according to the dictionary.
The truth is, “We are swimming in a sea of
interpretations that we treat like facts.” In the
biggest picture, wars are fought over interpretations.
The stock market moves, divorces are gotten, decisions
are made, elections are won or lost…all on
interpretations.
In your own life,
the actions you take each day are based on your
interpretations. For example, if you call someone and
they don’t call you back, the only fact is
that they did not call you back. The interpretation,
however, could range from, “I guess they were busy and
haven’t had a chance,” to “He obviously doesn’t like me
and doesn’t want to talk to me.” Depending which you
choose, you will act quite differently.
Some interpretations
can change your life. A young man named Steve went to
tryouts for the school musical in high school which
included a reading session and a singing session. When
Steve’s turn to sing came, he did quite poorly. He knew
it, and he knew that the directors knew it. The musical
director said to him, “Singing isn’t your strength,
young man.” Steve went home that afternoon and didn’t
return for the second day of auditions because he
interpreted the fact that he had sung poorly to mean
that he wasn’t going to be in the play. He went on in
his life and ignored his longing to be on the stage. He
was successful in his career choice, but always felt
like something was missing.
At his ten year
reunion, Steve ran into the director from that musical.
He told the director of his successes in his work, and
they recalled his audition many years before. The
director said to him, “I was so disappointed you didn’t
return to the auditions the second day because I thought
you were terrific and I had a role for you.” Steve was
stunned and told the director that he had assumed that
since he had done so poorly singing, he was out. The
director then said that he had assumed Steve had decided
he didn’t want to be in the show after all, and
consequently the director didn’t mention anything to him
around school.
Because Steve had
interpreted the fact that he couldn’t sing well to mean
he wasn’t going to be good on stage, he hadn’t pursued
something that had called to him from his soul. To
compound the problem, the director’s interpretation of
Steve’s action was that Steve wasn’t interested and
consequently the director didn’t ask him about it when
he saw Steve around the school.
As a result of that
conversation, however, Steve re-examined his love of
theater and his calling to act, and has now begun to
perform in his community theater. His successes in his
local theater group have lead him to consider setting a
Vision for himself of going back to school and training
as an actor. While it is wonderful Steve is now
pursuing his love and dream, had he clarified his
interpretation of that day in high school, he might have
set his direction differently many years before.
When you are flying
between trapezes and creating something new in your
life, you have to try to read the signs as clearly as
possible. You will get feedback from many people and
will encounter a wide range of situations which can be
interpreted in ways that could help you along or
discourage you depending on what you make the facts of
the situation mean to you.
One of the most
important tools in pursuing your Vision, and even in
daily life, is to learn to be a keen observer of facts,
and a skilled interpreter and translator. When the
facts are clear, learn to accept and embrace the
reality. Most of the pain we suffer in our lives comes
from not being willing to accept and love “what
is.” Wishing something was different that cannot be
different (for example, wishing you were taller or that
someone you love would act differently) only causes pain
and leaves you stuck. If you find yourself wishing
something that cannot be, go back to Step 2 and let that
go.
However, when you
have the opportunity to interpret a situation or a fact,
always choose to see it in a light that supports you and
empowers you in your life. Remember, interpretations
are all made up and so make them up the way you
want them. Don’t be foolish or blind, but always
remember that the world responds to what you project,
and if you project a positive and empowered
interpretation of life, that’s what the world will
deliver to you.
Exercise
To develop the
skills of discerning between fact and interpretation,
become a scientist for a while and be a keen observer of
your life and the world around you. Try to step back
just a little and watch how you interact in the world,
what you think, what you say. And observe how others
interact with you, how you respond, what you feel about
the things and happenings around you. Don’t judge, just
observe. Try to think of yourself as an anthropologist
in a foreign culture, and notice everything around you.
Take notes in your
notebook. Jot down things that you heard and how you
interpreted them. Note things that happened during the
day and what you thought they meant. Then as an
exercise, see if you can think of other ways they could
be interpreted. Do this over several days and see what
you learn.
Then, write down
interpretations you have about yourself and the people
around you. Think back to the things you threw out in
Step 2 and be sure that you aren’t still applying some
of those old attitudes, “types,” and “enoughs.” Where
you might be, write down new interpretations that
support you and your Vision. They are your
interpretations, so make them mean what you want.
To practice this,
try this exercise: write in your notebook how old you
would be if you didn’t know how old you were…and why.
Let yourself imagine; create the answer separate from
what you already know. Interpret your life the way
you want it to be. Share your new interpretations
on the
Facts and Interpretations Forum.
As you fly towards
your Vision, be aware of things that come up that you
might be interpreting in an old or outdated way. Write
them down, and then write down your new interpretation.
“Do not go where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail…”
Emerson
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