Do you think intention is more important or perception is more important?

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Important for what? Are oranges better than pumpkins?
- maybe intentions behind the action rather than the perception of the action itself.
  An extreme example would be in the latest episode of My Adventures with Superman (great show, slight spoilers), Superman saves an invisible man from getting hit from a truck by stopping the truck and causing a traffic accident.
  The intention was to save a guy, the perception of the people was that he caused an accident for no reason (because the guy he saved was invisible).
  
  Right, gotcha. I thought OP meant as personal traits, which didn't make sense as I don't see how someone's abilities or skills to perceive the world can be compared to what they want to do.
  To answer, in your case, I'd say intention is more important
  
  The fact that you misinterpreted what OP meant leans toward perception though.
  
  I also found the misunderstanding funny in context, however note there was a productive conversation out of it in which I managed to understand their intention.
  If intention had no importance I don't think I would have bothered.
  
  Yes, this is what I meant.
- oh, it says in the sidebar the question has to be open ended so I didn't think I could explain it further? I also kind of assumed it had to fit in the title only.
  But I meant socially. I often see rhetoric stating that its more important how people perceive what you're saying, as opposed to how you intended to have it sound.
  The person who responded to you gave a great example too.
  
  Ohh a totally different spin then, thoughts are not the same as actions. For me intention wins, however it falls flat it nobody can understand you. So I can see why the counterargument has weight.
  
  Yeah, how I often see it described is that, even if you didn't intend for something to sound bad - if someone else perceives it as bad, then you just messed up.
  I've seen this in a few different places online and it made me think but then I was at work and saw it mentioned in an anti-sexual harassment training video. That kind of made me realize this is like, the new ideology being pushed. At least where I am anyway.
  
  I agree with you, I think it's dangerously stupid to push that idea if you don't also make an emphasis on trying to understand the other person. Empathy goes both ways, saying perception is the only thing that matters sounds like a cheap and selfish way to avoid a real conversation.
  It's like when people don't speak your language and accuse you of insulting them even though they have no idea - and worse yet no intention on their part- of ever finding out what you were saying.
  
  Empathy goes both ways, saying perception is the only thing that matters sounds like a cheap and selfish way to avoid a real conversation
  Yes! It seemed very one sided to me. Especially after seeing it in a training video, where I get it and it made sense but I couldn't help but think, doesn't this mean someone can just misinterpret something and then run wild with that because that's how they perceived it?
  
  That does happen too... I guess it boils down to the common sense of those involved, more reasonable people would work out their differences whilst unbalanced ones not so much.
  You also have the extra complexity legal loopholes and cultural differences in a work environment so I can understand why a company would be pushing for interpretation/perception more than intention.
  
  In such a scenario perception is important.
  If I say something that makes you sad, it doesn’t matter that I didn’t mean to make you sad, I still hurt you.
  
  It does matter though. I'd much rather hang with someone who unintentionally said something that hurt my feelings than one who intended to do so. Even if their behaviour is perceived as being good but on the inside they're full of shit then I still want nothing to do with them - I probably just don't know.
  
  Yeah see I don't think either is unimportant or more important than another.
  I've had people like you describe in my life, it's not fun to find out that people you thought you get along really well with actually can't stand you. Conversely, I also don't want anyone in my life that treats me like crap even though they don't intend to do so. Obviously there's a nuance, if someone says something off to me once, or does something that hurts me once that's something you can work through.
  I've friends that are chronically bad at keeping times, and frequently turn up late when we plan things. I stop hanging out with them because when we talk about it and I express that keeping time is something I find very important, and they keep being late over and over again despite saying that they'll do better, I feel like my time and feelings on the matter are unimportant to them. They might not intend to waste 5 hours of my time every time we make plans, but eventually I'm bound to get fed up, no?
  
  Well yeah obviously both are important. Ideally you have good intentions which leads one to act in a way that is perceived as good too.
  However my point is that intentions is what tells more about what you're like as a person. An autist may be socially akward and they might act in a way an asshole would too but if you know they don't intend to treat you badly then you also wont judge them the same as someone who does it with the purpose to hurt you. You might still not want to be with them because it's emotionally taxing but you shouldn't think of them as an evil person.
  If a someone bumps into you on the street by accident and you spill your coffee the end result is exactly the same as when someone does that intentionally but the intentions matter here a lot.
  
  Perception is everything in communication. But of course you can further communicate your intention (via their perception) if you missed the mark.
  
  Sometimes you can. There have been numerous times when someone misunderstood something I had said, became offended, and then refused to even consider the possibility that I didn't mean what they thought I said. I've even had people accuse me of doubling down on what they thought I meant when I tried to explain what I actually meant.

71 comments