We interact with numerous objects and individuals each day, and the understanding of how we perceive them helps us realize how the world functions. It is valuable knowledge, which can serve in solving different problems and making the most of opportunities. Undoubtedly, it is particularly engaging to analyze our interactions with relatives, friends, coworkers, or even strangers and organize our perceptions into four categories, such as prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes, and scripts. Therefore, I am eager to consider my conversation with a friend and discover how I perceive him.
It is essential to introduce the person whose perception I intend to analyze. He is my close friend Joseph N. I can state that he is my best friend, and we have maintained our deep friendship for seven years. Many people have never experienced such a long and close relationship and struggle to believe that it is possible to have a long-standing best friend in the modern world. Therefore, it is vital to discover what categories of my perception of Joseph N. contribute to our lasting friendship.
I want to concentrate on our last discussion regarding the current political situation in the United States. Joseph N. was wearing a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and matching accessories. He has never shown the signs of caring for fashion trends, and his style can be described as minimalistic. He actively uses facial expressions and gestures and changes the tone of his voice during the conversation. I highly appreciate the energy of Joseph N.’s body language, as it makes our interactions more engaging and meaningful.
Furthermore, organizing my perception of the friend into four categories revealed why I highly value Joseph N. First, he is a functional prototype of the best friend. He is the person who possesses more qualities of a life companion than I have ever encountered in any individual I have ever interacted with. According to Wood (2012), a prototype helps people decide who else can be referred to some group such as friends; thus, if I communicated with more individuals, my perception of Joseph N. might be different. Second, I rely on my friend’s construct as a reliable, amusing, and intelligent person. Third, I have determined that I have stereotypes regarding Joseph N.’s loyalty and the power of our long-lasting friendship. Finally, the scripts of our interactions do not always work because of numerous circumstances, such as health issues or family problems. In general, I believe that the image of Joseph N. as an old best friend helped me create my perception of him.
Besides, I want to interpret these categories and determine what influenced my perception personally. Even though I realized that I have not entirely objectively evaluated my friendship with Joseph N., I am convinced that I was lucky to meet such an individual seven years ago. My stereotypes contributed to the strength of our relationship, while well-designed scripts largely simplified it. Undoubtedly, many movies, including The Intouchables or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, influenced my perception of Joseph N. and friendship in general.
In conclusion, it is crucial to understand how we perceive people and objects in our daily life to make better judgments. While organizing the perception of my best friend into four categories, I have realized that my thoughts about him are not always objective, though subjectivity sometimes can make a positive impact. Without any doubt, it also essential to interpret these categories and determine what influences them. Hence, now I clearly understand how I perceive Joseph N. and what makes our friendship lasting and close.
Reference
Wood, J. T. (2012). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Cengage Learning.