This is a new column. It’s called “A Word with Zul Andra”. Shoots finger guns. In every issue, I’ll write about an issue and issue a word that encompasses the issue. Think of the word as a bow on a present, knotted with a single ribbon, and the “present” is the present. Or the column could be about someone having a word with me that’s so intriguing that I have to write about it. Both birthed the debuting column in this issue.

The word for this issue’s column is “perspective.” Why? I asked Wayne Cheong, the EIC, what kind of content the magazine lacked, and he said I had an interesting perspective. Lazy to agree or think of any other word, I accepted his invitation to helm a new column and stuck to writing about perspectives.

Before I wax lyrical about the word, a side note: The words “perspective” and “perception” are often used interchangeably, and their definitions are frequently met with the drone of an “err…”. But to err is human—a perspective. My perception? That making mistakes is an inherent part of growth. Others may perceive it as a weakness. “Ahh!” you say as you somewhat get the difference. To ahh is also human. Anyhoo…

If perspective is a critical cognitive lens, then perception is the label we instinctively give to what we see. If perspective is a point of view, then perception is our immediate interpretation. Both are subjective and not mutually exclusive. My perspective, informed by my experiences, can shape my perception, which is influenced by my “Spidey” senses. While one can change without immediately impacting the other, they are often interconnected.

Here are some other common perspectives and the perceptions that accompany them.

The perspective “everything happens for a reason” can be perceived positively as a source of comfort in challenging situations or negatively as trivialising the impact of struggle. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is another perspective. Some find it inspiring; others feel it invalidates suffering. What about “forgive and forget”? It can be perceived as healing or dismissive, depending on one’s interpretation.

“Everything happens for a reason, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so forgive and forget.” What’s your perception of this spectacular perspective? Does it get you high as a kite, or does it make you feel like you are crashing into a tree—also like a kite? Why are you a kite? (Ok, existential questions for another time.) Whatever kind of kite you are, we may share the same perspectives but have conflicting perceptions and vice versa.

Here’s a way to test your perspective and perception. We’ll do this by the book. And by the book, I mean Nobel Memorial Prize winner Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, which explores how human decision-making is shaped by two cognitive systems—System 1 (perception) and System 2 (perspective).

Disclaimer: the Israeli-American psychologist is not without controversy.

System 1 processes sensory input and makes quick judgments based on patterns, heuristics, and immediate impressions. For example, when you instinctively perceive someone who did you wrong as trustable based on their sorry face, that’s System 1 at work. System 2 engages in deeper reasoning, reflection, and critical thinking to better understand the world. For example, critically evaluating whether “forgive and forget” that bastard’s face is wise in different contexts requires System 2 thinking.

If perspective is a critical cognitive lens, then perception is the label we instinctively give to what we see. If perspective is a point of view, then perception is our immediate interpretation

Let’s start testing System 1, your perception, via “The Linda Problem.” Linda is a politically active, outspoken woman who majored in philosophy. Is Linda more likely a bank teller or a bank teller who is active in the feminist movement? Most people in the test chose the second option, even though it’s statistically less likely that two things can be true simultaneously. This demonstrates how our perception is influenced by stereotypes rather than statistical reasoning and how plausibility overrides logical probability.

On to testing System 2, your perspective, via the “Framing Effect.” Which will you choose: a medical procedure that promises a 90 per cent you-will-live rate or the same procedure from another surgeon that guarantees a 10 per cent you-will-die rate? Most would choose the first option, revealing how our perspective can be manipulated by how information is presented.

However, these two examples are not the tests I had in mind to unravel your perspective and perception. The test started before these walls of text when I mentioned, “Disclaimer: the Israeli-American psychologist is not without controversy.” Did that impact your perception of the validity of the Systems? Did you evaluate the ideas proposed separately and distinctly from the one who proposed them to clarify your perspective?

If our lenses and labels define perspectives and perceptions, wouldn’t it be fair to say that we see the world not for what it is but for who we are—and all that jazz?

Talking about reality, and now that you get what a perspective and perception is, how ‘bout we shatter it?

In Zen Buddhism, a koan is a paradoxical riddle or statement to help practitioners transcend logical and rational thinking to achieve enlightenment (yay). When working with a koan, someone might initially interpret it as a puzzle (perception) and examine it from a rational angle (perspective). However, as they sit with the koan’s paradoxical nature, their perception of it and their perspective on engaging with it may shift radically.

Here’s a koan: “What’s the sound of one hand clapping?” This koan challenges the duality of perception (two hands clapping) and points toward non-duality or the nature of emptiness. The answer isn’t a literal sound but about realising the interconnectedness of all things and the limitations of language and logic.

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” This koan explores the nature of perception and reality. It challenges the idea that reality depends on an observer. The answer reveals the subjective and objective aspects of reality and the interdependence of all phenomena— sound exists as vibration regardless of perception, but “sound,” as we know it, requires a listener.

Why are we unpacking what makes a perception and what makes a perspective?

This being the first column, your ability to be conscious of the difference is material to your participation in my entries in the future. Take today’s column as a primer. The words I’ll share in the following issues are based on my perspectives and will inherently reveal the spirit of my thinking, and, along with it, reading it will reveal yours.

"A Word with Zul Andra" will be viewed in a different reality. But that reality is as true to me as it will be for you. Or not. Holster finger guns.