Reality
There are many perceptions of reality but this does not make any perception real.
Perceptions are elements of the mind’s imagination. The mind uses its imagination to constantly try and make sense of the life surrounding it.
It is easy and common to believe as truth what we imagine to be true. The problem with this is it usually introduces a bias which is usually favorable to us over others.
In other words our respective imaginations are set up to protect our mental and emotional health. Because this is the case, working through personal problems alone doesn’t normally work - like 99.999% of the time. (That last “fact,” in case you try to look it up, came from my imagination, because it likes it when it can get me to laugh).
Here is my point.
Truth and reality are not always obvious and it is more likely we will draw closer to them as we draw closer to others.
And they don’t have to agree with us.
In fact, it is in the open free discussions of challenging ideas where we can best discern where truth and reality are hanging out. In addition, it is a part of growing in maturity as well as sanity, to be able to enjoy the variety of interesting personalities that are all around us.
Let me state all this in the opposite.
A little solitude is good for emotional stability but isolation (being a loner and separating from others thinking this is a smart move) can be destructive. We need others who will listen carefully to what we say and then provide honest and (hopefully kind) feedback (or tell us we’re full of it. That works too).
Finally, a statement about how important community is to mental health: The longer an isolated unchallenged unstimulated mind lives in distortion with reality the more mentally unstable it becomes. Over time, minds untethered to what is real become unhealthy to the point they can develop real mental and physical illness.
Go spend time with others and possibly make a few new friends today. It’s for your own good.
Listen to the words.