By Naazi Morad Wellness Within Therapy
We humans are storytellers by nature. But sometimes, the stories we tell aren’t rooted in truth—they’re shaped by emotion, fear, and projection. In therapy, we often explore how perception becomes a lens through which we interpret others. And too often, that lens is fogged by our own unresolved pain.
👁️ When a Look Becomes a Verdict
A stranger doesn’t blink. A colleague gives a sharp glance. A passerby looks “too long.” Instantly, the mind begins its theatre:
- She’s jealous of me.
- He thinks I’m beneath him.
- They’re judging my clothes, my face, my life.
But what if none of that is true?
What if the person you’re reading is lost in their own storm, grief, anxiety, panic, or even dissociation? What if their gaze isn’t about you at all, but a momentary escape from their own emotional chaos? Therapy teaches us that perception is not fact. It’s a mirror often cracked reflecting our current emotional state. When we feel insecure, we perceive threat. When we feel proud, we perceive envy. When we feel unseen, we perceive rejection.
🧠 The Psychology Behind Projection
In psychological terms, this is called projection: attributing our own feelings or fears to someone else. It’s a defense mechanism, often unconscious, that helps us make sense of discomfort. But it can also cause harm, especially when we act on it. We play God with our assumptions. We decide who is “jealous,” “crazy,” “forward,” or “fake” – without knowing their story, their state, or their soul. And in doing so, we risk becoming the very thing we fear: judgmental, disconnected, and emotionally unsafe.
🌱 The Healing Practice of Accountability
Self-improvement begins with radical accountability. When we catch ourselves in a spiral of assumption, we can gently call ourselves back:
“I don’t know their story. I don’t know their pain. I have no right to assign meaning to their gaze.”
This isn’t weakness—it’s dignity. It’s the kind of emotional maturity that therapy cultivates: the ability to pause, reflect, and choose compassion over ego. And sometimes, the most powerful act of healing is simple:
😊 Break the Stare with a Smile
A smile costs nothing. But it can shift everything. It says: I see you. You matter. I won’t make you a villain in my story. In a world where perception often breeds division, a smile becomes a bridge. It’s a quiet rebellion against judgment. A sacred offering of grace.
🕊️ Final Reflection
At Wellness Within Therapy, we believe healing begins with how we see, ourselves, others, and the stories in between. Let’s choose to see with softness. To perceive with humility. To smile with soul.
Because every person you meet is fighting a battle you cannot see. And every perception you hold is a chance to choose love over fear.
