Tracy Press

Town Crier: As the campaign season swings into high gear, listen closely to what candidates are saying.

There is a familiar phrase, “Perception is reality.” Watch cable news, and the impact of this phrase becomes clear. A news item, while containing the same general facts, can be skillfully crafted by media outlets, each with its own spin, and often reported to promote a specific ideology. Broad generalizations and baseless assumptions frequently degenerate into programs that incite, provoke and titillate but, above all, keep us watching.

This has extended to the blogosphere, where anyone with a computer can chime in to promote a particular point of view. This has been especially true the past several months regarding the presidential race. There’s been much discussion about gender and race, while less has been said about the three very different personalities. For all of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s intelligence and experience, she often comes across as abrasive and brash, especially contrasted with Sen. Barack Obama’s charismatic and inspiring style. At the other end of the spectrum is Sen. John McCain’s low-key, rather dull delivery of his brand of “straight talk.”

I imagine there are times the candidates watch their flaws and virtues discussed on television or in newspaper columns and barely recognize the characterizations attributed to them. Their public personas, along with their speeches and interviews, communicate quite a bit about each candidate, but they don’t begin to tell the story about who they really are.

This disconnectedness, of course, isn’t unique to politicians. How often do we feel unable to reconcile our internal lives — our thoughts, opinions and feelings — with our outward demeanors? And by extension, from our own unique experience and our own perceptions of the world, how often do we rush to judgment on the people in our lives and in events around us?

I have met people who are incredibly charming, possessing wit, personality and social ease, and then only later do I see past their social veneer to find pettiness and self absorption. Likewise, I have found great depth, intelligence and generosity in people who totally lack social skills.

I wonder whether there is an ingrained reluctance to wear our hearts on our sleeves, to trust enough to reveal our true selves. Sadly, revealing our true selves is frequently not enough, as personality and style inevitably come into play.

Just as I believe there are people born in the world who exude a natural charisma that draws others to them, I also believe there are those born to be quite the opposite. As anyone in grade school can tell you, certain kids are just popular. They seem to have an easier time of it all, displaying an image of confidence and ease in making friends.

And then there are the rest of us — the awkward, dull, shy, annoying, obnoxious or just plain average rest of us. We grew up never seeming to be able to pull it together and be “cool.” We couldn’t quite figure out what the popular kids had that we didn’t. The best of the average get over it, move on and live life. We pick up enough tricks to hide our flaws, and to heck with those who don’t like who we are. We worry less about the perceptions others have and learn to value our own opinions.

Overcoming this half of the equation is enormous, and those who have done it will tell you it requires strength of character and commitment. The other half of the equation is perhaps even more important — being aware of our perception of others. There are forces constantly at work to change and mold our perceptions. Advertisers want to make us feel a sense of lack that can be satisfied only by their product. Campaigns create platforms based on what they believe we want to hear and what they can do to make our lives better. We are incapable of interpreting the world through a pure filter. Our values, prejudices, fears and life histories shape how we experience and react to events and information. 

The wisest exercise restraint in condemning what they do not fully understand. The most perceptive will closely examine why they are drawn to that which is charming, polished and poised. This is not to suggest that substance and charm are mutually exclusive. Our rancor should be reserved for those whose charm lasts as long as it benefits their own cause. 

As the campaign season swings into high gear, listen closely to what candidates are saying. Are they arguing the issues or assigning blame to others? Are their promises and words consistent with their records? As we head toward November, we owe it to ourselves to look past the exterior, whether rough or satin smooth, to search for substance.

• Laura Hagler, a full-time working mother with two daughters, is among a select group of local residents with columns in the Tracy Press.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments