Our Perceptions Matter.

The Science of the Positive is founded upon Seven Core Principles. Principle #3 - Be Perceptive - is about our need to constantly understand the role that perceptions play in our lives and the lives of other people. The Positive Community Norms (PCN) Framework was developed to apply these core principles to the domain of increasing positive community norms. A key strategy in the PCN Framework is the scientific measurement of perceptions of norms – and also the misperceptions of norms. The reason for this focus is simple – our perceptions matter. For example, a recent study in live science titled "Middle Schooler's Views on Pot May Forecast Later DUIs,"* reports that "Sixth graders who had positive views about marijuana (for example, agreeing that it relaxes you) were 63 percent more likely to report driving under the influence or riding with an intoxicated driver in high school, compared with those had less-positive views of the drug." Again, perceptions matter, and how we see the world and others in the world is related to how we see and feel about ourselves, as well as how we act. I will certainly revisit these ideas in future posts, but until then I'm interested in your thoughts too and I hope you will share them in the Comments section below. Thanks.

(Photo - http://www.noexcuseshr.com/2014/09/im-always-right.html)

*Please note, that I did not share the link for this article because it was acting glitchy.