Perception vs. Reality: What Matters More?

I find it interesting that we are becoming a society in which the words that we speak, and how we are perceived seems more important than what we actually believe, have done in the past, our credentials…and way more important than our actual character. Our mistakes, gaffs, weaknesses, embarrassments, our ignorance defines us more sharply than our virtues or the value we add to the world. This seems screwy to me, a consequence of poor social planning by those who wield too much power in the human connection space. Now it seems to be the way most people choose to interact with others. Perception is not reality…it’s not truth, yet we live as though it is.