Perception is Key

So, obviously, you may have noticed me spouting that line a few times by now... I kind of stopped for a bit when I derailed my theory postings for other things, but since we're getting back into this mess, I thought I should explain it a bit better, especially since it's sort of becoming my own little Madness Mantra... but it does serve a personal purpose beyond its theory. It's a reminder. About how I need to approach this thing.

See, people try to explain this thing and how it works in a lot of different ways. From the simple to the fantastical to outright quantum mechanics bullshit... but it's always a little different. Every explanation you hear is a little different from the one that came before it, regardless of how similar. Inconsistencies are everywhere. Some people seem to want to call that Dimensional Bleeding or some other such nonsense... and hey, maybe that's what it is... for you...

But for me, I see it all as a matter of Perspective. The way we perceive the Construct effects everything... from how we deal with it to what it can do to us. I originally didn't really want to agree with Jay(Sage)'s "It's all in our heads" Theory, but it's the best parallel I can come up with. It works the way we think it does. If you think getting up high will keep you safe from it, then it does. If you think writing Operator Symbols on the back of your hoodies will give you some advantage over it, then it does. If you think you've got no chance in hell of surviving it... then you won't. (And yes, I acknowledge that, having read Spencer's more detailed explanation, my opinions very closely follow the guidelines of "Page Theory" as well, so perhaps there is some truth to that one... but I'll draw more parallels later.)

And I also see that as how it attacks us. It seeks to change our perception of itself. It wants us to see it in a very certain way. Whether that be to fear and submit to it, or to embrace and accept it. Either way, it's goal seems clear enough... to break us down... to make us perceive it as superior to ourselves... so it can dominate our lives. It seeks to control us by turning our perception against us.

So the obvious option of counter-action is simple... Don't let him.

Which means having strong enough convictions and beliefs to cement your perceptions. To put up a mental blockade that prevents all attempts to break through your defenses. You have to know who you are... and what It is. You must deny any other suggestion of otherwise. You are you. It cannot... It MUST NOT... break you. Don't let it make you into something you're not. Fight it till the end, as they say... "Make it work for it's food."

But that isn't to say it's going to be easy. Affirming your convictions like that isn't something you can just do on the fly... and you can't just "pretend" that everything is going to be fine. That's not how it works. In fact, you're probably going to have to go through an awful lot of hell before you can even begin to truly say that you've cemented your perceptions. The Construct has the advantage of experience. It's been doing this for years. Breaking people down one by one. It knows all the right buttons to press to get what it wants. You're not going to be able to fight that. Not right away. You're going to have some setbacks... but that's okay. You keep fighting. You survive. You learn. And eventually you'll get there.

There is another problem though. Just because you perceive something one way, doesn't mean everyone else does. This is the part where Page Theory seems to come more into play in my equations. When these "pages" begin to overlap, conflicting perceptions cause a localized rift which allows the Construct to manipulate the overlapping perceptions and steer them into a direction which stands in his favor. For speculative example, perhaps someone like M is on a ridiculously high rooftop somewhere with... I dunno, fuck it, Nightscream. M's perceptions are pretty adamant that the Construct can't see or reach him in this location, but Nightscream's beliefs are very much the opposite. This creates an opportunity for the Construct to break the established rules and use Nightscream's perceptions to override M's and manifest itself on the rooftop with ease. Kind of a far out senario... but hey, maybe that's why M hate's large groups?

In any event, what this means is that whenever you enter into a group environment, your perceptions are going to be even more greatly challenged than before and have a higher likelihood of faltering under pressure. Which makes maintaining your beliefs in that moment, and again later after they have been challenged, even harder. It's an internal conflict which you may not be able to "win" but you can at the very least still utilize your perceptions to erect as many defenses as possible for yourself. This all falls back to the "Do what works for you" advice that a few bloggers have handed out in the past. Everything relies on your own perceptions.


So... that's basically the fight I'm preparing myself for. I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to handle it... I guess I'll find out in time... but maybe you'll be stronger. Lets hope so.

Just keep telling yourself... "Perception is Key"