The statement “existence is encompassed by perception” suggests that what we call reality is shaped, limited, and defined by how we perceive it. At first glance, existence might seem objective and fixed—trees grow, rivers flow, people age. But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the way we experience and understand these events is filtered entirely through perception.
Perception is not passive. It is an active process shaped by our senses, memories, emotions, expectations, and language. Everything we know about the world is constructed from sensory input interpreted by the mind. A color, for instance, is not simply an external fact but a subjective interpretation of how light interacts with the eye. A word’s meaning is not fixed in stone but developed through shared use and individual context. Even time is perceived differently depending on our mental state. An hour in joy feels like minutes; a moment of pain can feel like forever.
Because perception is shaped by so many internal and external factors, no two people inhabit the same reality. Each person sees the world through a unique lens. Culture, upbringing, trauma, and belief systems all form the framework of this lens, and it is through this that existence is processed. This means that existence, in practical terms, is not a single truth but a collection of subjective experiences.
This idea has consequences not only in philosophy, but also in psychology and communication. People do not just live in a shared world—they live in parallel but overlapping realities. Conflicts, misunderstandings, and even wonder stem from these differing perceptions. What seems threatening to one person may seem harmless to another. What is beautiful to one may be unremarkable to someone else.
Still, this does not mean that existence is purely imaginary or without structure. There are physical laws and shared realities we all respond to, such as gravity or language. But even these are known to us only through interpretation. The world exists, yes—but how we relate to it, how we name it, and how we act within it are all deeply dependent on perception.
To recognize that existence is encompassed by perception is not to deny reality, but to acknowledge its layered complexity. It calls for humility in judgment, openness to other perspectives, and curiosity about the boundaries of our own awareness. It reminds us that certainty is often an illusion, and that the world is far more textured than our minds can fully grasp.
In the end, what we perceive becomes our truth. To expand that truth, we must first understand the limitations of our perception and remain willing to challenge, stretch, and refine it. Only then do we approach something deeper than mere existence: a conscious, evolving relationship with reality itself.
