Observation or Perception?

Recently I've realized that I'm really not a very observant person. I feel like the words "I didn't notice" come out of my mouth far too frequently. I wanted to improve my observation skills, since I make my living (however scant) by writing and I have this perhaps misguided idea that writers should be observant.

Merriam-Webster defines observation as "an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence" and observant as "paying strict attention." The words watchful and perceptive are also listed and it made me think about the connection between observation and perception. 

Not long ago, I noticed a disconnect between what I perceived and what really was. I had been interacting with an individual for months and had seen this person a number of times. It wasn't until the third or fourth meeting that I noticed the person did not have a right hand. In all my time with them, I had failed to observe this fact and instead perceived nothing different. 

I'm not the only one that does this. A few years ago, I was talking with a co-worker (a physician) who asked how tall I was. We had worked together for almost two years and he was shocked when I said I was 5'2. He said he'd never perceived me as being that short (his words, not mine) and supposed I had enough personality to make me seem taller.


To perceive is "to regard as being such," and that is exactly what my co-worker and I did, we perceived based off of a total observation. He wasn't seeing just my height and I wasn't even registering this person's hand, instead we were viewing the person as a whole. As I thought about the distinction, I decided that maybe I didn't need to be more observant. I like my "perception" much better, likely because it represents things the way I want them to be. I wouldn't consider this "rose-colored glass" way of looking at things the best way to move through life, but it's served me pretty well for the last 33 years and I don't think I'm going to rock the boat.