Quote: 49 "We learn nothing from life except through the prism of our assumptions." — André Gide
- Dr. ARUN V J
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Who Was André Gide?
André Gide (1869–1951) was a French author, humanist, and Nobel Prize winner in literature. He explored the tension between personal freedom and societal expectations — a thinker who constantly challenged himself to look beyond what he believed was true.
Gide’s words come from deep self-examination. He lived in a time of strict social norms and realized that much of what people call “truth” is only a reflection of their upbringing, culture, and bias. When he said we learn nothing from life except through the prism of our assumptions, he meant that our experiences are not reality itself — they are filtered perceptions shaped by what we already believe.
The Invisible Prism We All Wear
From the moment we’re born, we start seeing the world through an invisible glass — a prism of perception.
Our parents, teachers, and culture polish that glass for us. They tell us what’s right or wrong, what to admire or avoid, what success means, what beauty looks like, and what failure feels like.
But here’s the twist — that prism isn’t neutral. It’s colored by every word, every emotion, every fear that’s ever been passed to us.
A person raised in scarcity often sees the world as unsafe or competitive.
A person raised with encouragement sees opportunities where others see threats.
And the older we get, the thicker that prism becomes — layered with news, social media, advertisements, and opinions we never consciously questioned.
The World You See Is Not the World That Is
Think about this:
An earthworm has no eyes. For it, light doesn’t exist.
If you told it that sunlight makes flowers bloom, it would never understand.
That’s how most of us go through life. We live inside our limited spectrum of awareness — mistaking our beliefs for reality.
A person who has only seen hate sees hate everywhere.
Someone who only thinks in black and white never experiences color.
Our judgments — about people, politics, or even ourselves — are reflections of our inner conditioning, not objective truths.
How the World Reinforces Your Prism
1. Media and News:
The news you consume shapes what you fear, trust, or desire. Watch hours of negativity, and your brain starts scanning for danger even in safe places.
2. Advertising:
You’re constantly told what to buy, what to eat, how to look. Not because it’s true — but because it sells.
The “perfect life” shown on screens creates invisible dissatisfaction. You begin to compare yourself not with real humans, but with curated illusions.
3. Data and Manipulation:
Remember Cambridge Analytica? A political firm that used personal data to manipulate voter perception. Millions of people made “independent choices” — but only within the limits of what they were shown.
That’s how powerful perception can be. You think you’re choosing freely, but the prism decides what you see.
Psychology Behind the Prism
Our brain loves patterns. Once it believes something, it starts filtering the world to confirm it — a bias known as confirmation bias.
If you believe “people can’t be trusted,” your mind highlights every betrayal and ignores every act of kindness.
If you believe “opportunities are everywhere,” you’ll notice doors others walk past.
This isn’t magic — it’s neuroscience. The brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters stimuli, showing you only what matches your beliefs.
In other words:
Your perception programs your reality.
Breaking the Prism: How People Change Their Life by Changing Their Lens
Throughout history, countless people have transformed their lives by realizing this truth — that what they believed wasn’t necessarily true.
1. Nelson Mandela
27 years in prison could have made anyone bitter. But Mandela chose to see his captors not as enemies but as humans. His shift in perception didn’t just free him — it freed a nation.
2. Viktor Frankl
The Holocaust survivor wrote Man’s Search for Meaning. In the darkest place imaginable, he discovered that meaning, not circumstance, defines life.
He wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude.
”That’s the ultimate prism shift.
3. A Modern Example — Changing the Narrative
Consider someone who grew up hearing “you’re not good enough.” They carry that prism into adulthood — choosing jobs beneath their potential, avoiding opportunities, doubting compliments.
One day, they meet a mentor who helps them see that voice as someone else’s story, not their own. Within months, their confidence grows, they change careers, relationships improve.
Nothing outside changed. Only the lens did.
Rebuilding Your Lens: A Practical Guide
Let’s translate this into your daily life.
Here’s how to identify — and rewrite — your prism of perception.
1. Notice Your Emotional Triggers
The next time something makes you angry, jealous, or scared — pause.
Ask: What belief is being threatened right now?
Often, it’s not the situation but the story behind it that hurts.Maybe someone’s success doesn’t make you insecure — it reminds you of a hidden fear that you’re falling behind.
Awareness is the first crack in the prism.
2. Audit Your Inputs
Your mental diet shapes your emotional health.
Take a week and note what you consume: news, social media, conversations.
Then ask: Does this make me think freely or fearfully?
Replace mindless scrolling with mindful reading.
Replace comparison with curiosity.
3. Seek Contradiction
Growth happens in friction.
Read authors who challenge your worldview.
Talk to people with opposite political beliefs — not to argue, but to understand their prism.
Every time you resist being offended, you polish your inner glass a little clearer.
4. Rewrite the Inner Script
Every assumption is just a repeated thought that hardened into belief.
Question your absolutes:
“I’m not good with money.” → Who said that first?
“People can’t be trusted.” → Is that always true?
You can’t control every event, but you can rewrite the meaning you give to it.
5. Practice Mental Minimalism
Not every opinion deserves your attention.
The more noise you remove, the clearer your perception becomes.
Meditation, journaling, long walks — these are not luxuries; they are clarity tools.
When You Change Your Prism, Life Changes Too
Once you start noticing your assumptions, life feels lighter.
You stop reacting and start responding.
You see possibilities where others see problems.
Leadership, relationships, decisions — everything transforms when you stop living through inherited filters.
You begin to understand what Gide meant:
We don’t learn from life itself — we learn from how we see life.
And when you change how you see, the world changes too.
Real-Life Application
In your workplace: you might think a colleague is rude — until you realize your prism associates silence with arrogance.
In your relationships: you might assume your partner doesn’t care — until you see love expressed differently.
In leadership: you might resist delegation — until you realize your prism equates control with competence.
Every assumption limits your freedom until you examine it.
Final Thought
Every one of us is walking around with invisible glasses that color our reality.
Most never take them off.
But those who do — they start to see.
That’s where self-growth begins.
That’s where leadership becomes wisdom.
That’s where life truly happens.
Pause for a moment today.
Ask yourself:
What assumptions are shaping the way I see my life right now?
Write them down. Challenge one. Just one.
That’s how the prism starts to crack.
If this reflection spoke to you, visit www.thirdthinker.com — where we explore the psychology of perception, productivity, and purpose.
Subscribe to keep rethinking life — one lens at a time.
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