Personal Level is the engine that drives the train. Everything starts and ends at the personal level. If I go down and apply for food stamps and get approved, then tell everyone on my block that my grocery worries are over, what do you think would happen?.

If everyone else on my block goes down and apply but get denied then I just set a personal perception in motion. Even though I'm the only one on my block who recently lost a job due to out-sourcing. The error was made by telling everyone I got approved.

Tips on how to manage perception is really what is essential to living in America. Unfortunately, there is no curriculum being taught on the subject of managing perception, so this article can be viewed as a survival guide until something better comes along. I'll play devil's advocate and field some questions.

Question: Since I'm obviously in a group, how can I know what stigmas I'm carrying?
Answer: It should be obvious what stigmas have been assigned your group but if not try this: Tune in to either a post '85 movie or television program and find your group. Note what is being said about them and you should have a clue as to how you are view at the national level. Look around and take note of your local environment and remember all national perceptions were born from the local level.
Question: Can perceptions be manufactured?
Answer: Very good question. Yes, is the short answer but that is too shallow of a response for the points I'm trying to make. America was founded on control and power, therefore, control and power can be strengthened by properly managing perceptions. A good example of how perceptions are manufactured can be found in the hurricane Katrina story. The folks in Washington have invested untold resources in trying to get the nation to believe that Katrina was the fault of failed policy rather than an act of God. The perception they are manufacturing is the U.S. government have the solution for everything that troubles its people.

Other manufactured perceptions are Motown cars are of poor quality compared to cars made by Asian car makers. Why would this be necessary? It is perceived that a balanced world economy by countries capable of making world war is essential for world peace, so do whatever it takes to create balance. What would Asian countries do if American consumers thought American products were a better buy? Imagine the shockwaves that would send through the state department. So, yes, perceptions can be manufactured.
Question: How does nationality and race play in the perception game?
Answer: As recent as the '80s there were only two races and only two nationalities in America. They were black/white and Anglo-Saxon/Others. The rapid changes in demographics have tossed a monkey wrench into the perception machine causing it to send sparks flying and gears screeching. In the old days when things were black and white it was easy to manage and control because you had a clearly defined adversary.

The perception lag time from the '80s to now has been unbelievable as it relates to different races and nationalities. A person with a name like Kumar is perceived to be someone with superb knowledge and Wongs are still perceived in a lot of places as workaholics. One of the things immigrants learn early in there new life is the perception game. They learn the importance of placing a high premium on managing how they are perceived.

Asians are masters of the perception game. Blacks are the worst when it comes to playing the perception game. Whites control the media which is the trump card in the perception game. Hispanics are wildcards in the perception game because of sheer numbers. They make you come to them and it is perceived if you don't come then you lose. Blacks are often clueless when it comes to the tools of perception; television cameras and microphones. They don't know the damage they can do in one scene or say in one statement that will linger at all levels of the perception chain for decades.

The power base is beginning to reflect the changing demographics and is most notable at the major universities in America. Education is a key component to managing and controlling perceptions, so it is perceived that the better the education the greater the chances of controlling and managing power. The thought of dividing the power could be perceived as America's worst nightmare.
Question: What about jobs and finances? what are the perception affects?
Answer: If you were a business on a tight budget and was looking to fill a position who would you hire? a person who is perceived as a slacker or someone who is perceived as a workaholic? You could also put my question to a loan officer at a bank or a mortgage lender and it would apply. Perception matters in everything we do from shopping to answering the telephone. If you sound like a sucker on the phone then you will probably be treated like one. Getting a job is easy, how well you manage your perceptions on the job will determine if you will keep it.

You may have a decent credit score but if you deal with companies that are designated as loan sharks your credit score will go down, even though your account is kept up-to-date. It is perceived that anyone who deals with the HFCs of the world would have to be out of there mind, therefore making them a bad credit risk, so they are given a bad credit rating strictly based on perception. Paying your bills on time has nothing to do with it. What bills you are paying is what counts in the credit game.

   Previous   Page  1 2 3   Next