Good Example Of Essay On The Burden Of Misperception And Its Consequences

In the modern world, appearance is of crucial importance when meeting new friends, going to work or to school. The appearance of a person dominates over the internal values and may give a wrong impression. We are all aware of the tricks that misperception of wealth, beauty and splendor may play on us, but we still strive to obtain that special accessory that is too much expensive and that we cannot afford. No matter how heavy the burden of the cost is people still long for something that they cannot afford and fall into the same trap as Mathilde Loisel, the main character from the story "The Necklace".
People always strive for better, richer and more luxurious life. It is encrypted in human nature that our eyes capture all shiny and glittering things and that due to those thing we are prettier in the eyes of the others. Mathilde Loisel believed the same, because the appraisal of others builds our self-esteem. Psychologists suggest that, "Events that raise self-esteem (e.g., achievement, recognition, compliments, being helpful, being loved) tend to be associated with improvement in the individual's chances of being accepted and included" (Leary, Terdal, Tambor and Downs 521). She borrowed a diamond necklace from her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, and for one night she was the centre of attention. However, were the following ten years of repaying the diamond necklace worth of it? People are willing to sacrifice their life due to one night of splendor, one night of feeling like a queen. The compliments that we receive raise our self-confidence and our self-esteem, even though we secretly know that it is not true.
In the same way that we perceive things, the others perceive us. If we believe that every object that is shiny and glittering is expensive and gives an image of wealth, the other see us in the same way. This assumption may lead an individual to severe consequences. Madame Loisel wore the burden of her misperception of the diamond that she believed was real for ten years. Even though people strive for things that they cannot afford, they should be aware of the traps that Madame Loisel fell into. Consequences may change the course of life.
The damage that misperception may play on human bring may be irreversible. As cited by Conttriger, "The sad reality is that most of our perceptions of other people and situations are very distorted" (Conttriger). The reason for this can be found in the human nature. People want to be accepted by the immediate surrounding and due to this they always strive for more. The popular culture has set up a material status as the threshold for a cusses and acceptance. World famous tabloids are covered with the images of celebrities that buy expensive things. All of these images present twisted perception of true values that should be nourished in life. People have become modern slaves of fashion, jewelry, expensive gadgets. Does an expensive jewelry transform us into a better person? How matter how obvious the answer is, when we are bombed with all these splendor things, we tend to believe otherwise.
It is important that people filter the messages that the modern channels of communication throw at us, and try to distinguish the true values. Otherwise, people are too liable to fall into the influence of misperception and carry for years the burden of it. The wealth is a transitory category and it can easily burst like bubble soap, leaving us with the burden of paying things that we did not even need.

Cited works:

Cottringer, S. William. "Wrong Perceptions Can Be Lethal" Web. 11. February 2015. http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/WRONG_PERCEPTIONS_CAN_BE_LETHAL.html
Leary, R. Mark., Terdal, K. Sonja., Tambor S. Ellen., and Downa, L. Deborah. "Self-Esteem as an Interpersonal Monitor: The Sociometer Hypothesis" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 68. 1995. Web. 11. February 2015. http://www.elaborer.org/cours/A12/lectures/Leary1995.pdf