Augmented reality? Not what you thought!

I have come across two charming excerpts about maps. Both are similar in their worldview regarding the human need to represent reality and beyond. One is by Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentine author and one of the greatest creators in the Spanish language [see quote 1], and the other is by Lewis Carroll (remember? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) from the children's book "Sylvie and Bruno," published in 1893 [2] -

"How useful is a pocket map!" I remarked.

"That's another thing we learned from your nation," said Mains Har, "the creation of maps. But we took it much further than you. What would you consider to be the largest map that would truly be useful?"

"About six centimeters to the kilometer."

"Only six inches!" exclaimed Mains Har. "We quickly reached six yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. Then came the greatest idea of all! We actually made a map of the country, at a scale of a mile to a mile!"

"Have you used it much?" I asked.

"It has never been unfolded, still," said Mains Har. "The farmers protested: they said it would cover the entire land and block out the sunlight! So now we use the country itself as its own map, and I assure you it is almost as useful in that way."

We would like to have an accurate map of the world, but not just any map. One that describes the physical world around us and reality in all its details. One-to-one. A map that contains everything, explaining where everything is located, the events relevant to our lives, and their "correct" interpretations. "The ultimate map of reality perception." But when this is not available, we are busy creating and updating our private map of reality constantly from the day we enter the world. Everything goes into it—emotions, knowledge, thoughts, imagination, experience, environment, culture, behaviors...

Some live in "virtual reality" not as a game or by choice; for them, the experience of reality may manifest as auditory or visual hallucinations of people or events that do not exist in reality. We will dedicate a separate article to them. Most of us likely live in "augmented reality" (borrowing, of course, from the technological world of Augmented Reality)—we have a subjective perception of reality similar to that of those around us (we see the same tree, participate in the same social gathering, work at the same tech company), but the emotions, thoughts, and events receive our interpretations and seem to layer as an additional layer in our map of reality.

Most of the time, we feel "right on target," even though situations can be interpreted in various ways. We feel in control and can clearly connect our emotions and interpretations to the events around us. Sometimes, though, we miss the mark—we create imaginations in our minds and construct a worldview that is a product of those thoughts. Instead of seeing a situation as it is, we interpret it based on our internal hopes and fears, which may not be grounded in reality.

For example, if my manager didn't respond to my message, is it because there's a major organizational change coming, and he doesn't want to tell me? Is he busy with more important matters and choosing to ignore me? Is he angry with me? Or is he stuck at home with two sick kids and not available to respond right now? If your manager hasn't replied to your messages, it’s likely because he’s simply busy or didn’t see the message. However, if you’re worried that your manager is angry with you or something bad has happened to him, you may have difficulty distinguishing between the external world and your internal world.

What is Reality Testing?

The concept of reality testing was introduced by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, who used it to determine whether patients could differentiate the external world from their thoughts and feelings. The practice of reality testing remains an important tool in helping individuals avoid anxiety and negative thoughts.

For example, I failed a job interview; I might imagine that I will fail in all other job interviews because I lack skills or I'm not good enough. Through reality testing, I can discover that this negative assumption is not grounded in reality and that one failure does not mean I will never get a job or that things won't improve for me.

Reality testing can help overcome cognitive biases that may hold you back. You can apply the practice of reality testing in your daily life to gain a deeper understanding of your thought patterns and how you respond to different situations. Here are a few things to keep in mind while performing it:

1. Try to be objective and analyze the situation from as many perspectives as possible.

2. Consider the possibility that you may have misinterpreted the situation.

3. Acknowledge that other people's thoughts and feelings may differ from what you assumed.

4. Think first, act later—it's okay to pause and take a moment to process the situation.

5. Avoid jumping to conclusions about your situation; your first impression may be incorrect.

6. Try to identify patterns in your emotional reactions.

7. Assess whether you are amplifying or minimizing your emotional response.

8. Practice emotional reasoning: just because you feel a certain way about something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.

9. Ask a friend what they think about the situation—an external perspective can help you view things from a standpoint you hadn’t considered. ----

[1] On Precision in Science, Jorge Luis Borges, 1946. From "Chronicles of the Celestial Empire," translated by Renée Létourneau, published by Am Oved -

... In that empire, the art of cartography achieved such a level of perfection that a map of a single province covered an entire city, and the map of the empire covered a province. In due course, these exaggerated maps were no longer sufficient, and the cartographic colleges produced a map of the empire that was the same size as the empire itself, matching it one to one, with precision. The following generations, less addicted to the study of cartography, understood that this expanded map was impractical, and not without heresy, they abandoned it to the sun and winter tribes. In the western deserts, remnants of the map's ruins still exist, serving as a dwelling for beasts or beggars; in the entire land, no other remnants of the sciences of geography remain.

[2] Lewis Carroll, in the children's book "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded," Chapter 11, 1893

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