Test your Powers of Perception

I want to play a little game with you today, to test your powers of perception.

It’s very simple: just read the descriptions of the four women below, and see if you get a mental picture for each of them.

Woman Number 1

• Lives right on the waterfront in a posh area
• Has a number of designer labels hanging in her wardrobe
• Went to Uni
• Suffers from depression

Woman Number 2

• Is married
• Her children went to a private school
• Heads up a national women’s ministry
• Has travelled overseas

 Woman Number 3

• Lives in a dumpy old house
• Has changed job so many times, she’s almost lost count
• Was abused as a child
• Spent some time in a Children’s Home

Woman Number 4

• Started modelling at the age of 12
• Got kicked out of home as a teenager
• Has been to Court numerous times
• Her best friend suicided

Did Number 1 and Number 2 sound a bit snobby? Posh house, private school, travel …

Did you think maybe Number 3 was a bit of a battler?

And how about Number 4? What’s the bet she had problems with drugs and alcohol?

What if I then told you …

That these four descriptions are all about the same person?

Not only that, but that they all described ME (a few years ago now)!

Did you have very different mental images of the women described?

What’s the Full Story?

When you read that I had been to Court numerous times, you probably thought I had been in trouble with the law. In actual fact, I have not only appeared in Court on behalf of my employer several times, but I have also served jury duty.

I may have changed job numerous times – I’ve been a primary school teacher, a debt collection officer, a Tupperware lady, a shop assistant in a jeweller’s store, a fulltime Mum, a library assistant, a clerk in various state and local government departments, a checkout chick, a receptionist, an office temp, a freelance journalist, a virtual assistant, an SEO consultant – but then who hasn’t by the time they’ve reached my age?!

And the designer labels hanging in my wardrobe? All bought at the good ol’ op shop of course!

I’ve shared posts previously about my brief modeling career, and my time in Sandgate Children’s Home; and the little cottage we used to live in. But I can see there are some other things that I haven’t yet blogged about … my battle with depression, or the story of how I got kicked out of home (note to self: must do something about this!).

It’s a fun little experiment, but it also teaches us a valuable lesson about our perceptions of others. Don’t be too quick to judge! You may not have all the information. We are ALL very complex beings …

Were you surprised to discover that the four descriptions were all about just one person?