When we see, we see through our eyes; when we perceive, it is done through our mind. The fundamental difference between seeing and perceiving is that seeing is a physiological process involving capturing and transmitting light signals to the brain. Perceiving involves filtering, organising, interpreting, and assigning meaning to sensory inputs. It is the process of actively assigning them a purpose, significance, and interpretation, labelling them as good or bad using our memory, prior knowledge and personal experiences. Seeing is a passive process, whereas perceiving is an active process of integrating sensory input with existing knowledge. We respond to stimuli based on how we perceive them, and how we perceive them depends upon our experience with that or something similar to that stimulus.
“Seeing might be objective, but perceiving is subjective.”
THE DIRTY WINDOW
