The 50th Law (with 50 Cent)

Keys to Human Nature
We humans like to imagine that we have an objective knowledge of the
world. We take it for granted that what we perceive on a daily basis is
reality—this reality being more or less the same for everybody. But this
is an illusion. No two people see or experience the world in the same
way. What we perceive is our personal version of reality, one that is of
our own creation. To realize this is a critical step in our understanding
of human nature.
Imagine the following scenario: A young American must spend a
year studying in Paris. He is somewhat timid and cautious, prone to
feelings of depression and low self-esteem, but he’s genuinely excited
by this opportunity. Once there, he finds it hard to speak the language,
and the mistakes he makes and the slightly derisory attitude of the

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Parisians make it even harder for him to learn. He finds the people not
friendly at all. The weather is damp and gloomy. The food is too rich.
Even Notre Dame Cathedral seems disappointing, the area around it so
crowded with tourists. Although he has pleasurable moments, he
generally feels alienated and unhappy. He concludes that Paris is
overrated and a rather unpleasant place.
Now imagine the same scenario but with a young woman who is
more extroverted and has an adventurous spirit. She’s not bothered by
making mistakes in French, nor by the occasional snide remark from a
Parisian. She finds learning the language a pleasant challenge. Others
find her spirit engaging. She makes friends more easily, and with more
contacts her knowledge of French improves. She finds the weather
romantic and quite suitable to the place. To her, the city represents
endless adventures and she finds it enchanting.
In this case, two people see and judge the same city in opposite
ways. As a matter of objective reality, the weather of Paris has no
positive or negative qualities. Clouds simply pass by. The friendliness
or unfriendliness of the Parisians is a subjective judgment—it depends
on whom you meet and how they compare with the people where you
come from. Notre Dame Cathedral is merely an agglomeration of
carved pieces of stone. The world simply exists as it is—things or
events are not good or bad, right or wrong, ugly or beautiful. It is we
with our particular perspectives who add color to or subtract it from
things and people. We focus on either the beautiful Gothic architecture
or the annoying tourists. We, with our mind-set, can make people
respond to us in a friendly or unfriendly manner, depending on our
anxiety or openness. We shape much of the reality that we perceive,
dictated by our moods and emotions.