This Speech Does Not Exist

Are you really sure a floor can not also be a ceiling? This was quoted by Dutch artist Maurits Escher, and I think you will agree it is an intriguing question. But what does it really mean? The answer to that question is out of this world.

A lot of things are considered to be "out of this world". So, what really is stranger than fiction? Well, fact, of course. So, do you believe in fact? Well, do you? Not many people do, in the end. Why bother? Reality is what we live in every day. Reality is boring.

But what does this word, reality, actually mean? According to dictionary.com, "reality" is defined as "the quality or state of being actual or true". Pretty broad definition, if you ask me. What is real for one person may be unreal for another. Reality is nothing more than a matter of perception.

And now, of course, you all think I'm insane. But I'm not. I'll prove it to you.

One reality to be studied is that of truth and lies. Truth can be defined as reality, but reality is a matter of perception. A lie is defined by dictionary.com as "an inaccurate or false statement". In other words, it is a matter of perception. For example, if you ask a man who is hooked up to lie detector, what colour is the sky, he will say "blue" and be telling his version of the truth. But do the same to a man who is blind, has never seen the sky and is convinced the sky is green, when he says so the lie detector will not pick him up on it, even though it is an inaccurate or false statement, as per the dictionary definition of a lie. To the blind man's perception, that the sky is green is truth and, so, by way of perception, reality.

Truth and lies are interesting concepts. They form the basis of what we think of as reality, but is actually just perception. Truth and lies may seem to be very simple things, easily defined and recognised, but really they are much more complicated. Definitions will vary from person to person, as will the categorisation of statements into the true and false. Another example of this is: I could say that ghosts exist. For me, this may be the truth because it may be what I believe. But for another person, to state that ghosts exist could be a lie, because they do not believe the statement. The difference between a truth and a lie is whether or not you believe, really believe, in what you are saying.

So, we reach the conclusion that all of this, this idea of truth and lies, comes down to belief, and so to perception of reality, which changes for each individual.

Another reality to be examined is that of a popular genre - the reality television show. This form of entertainment is very popular but could be considered an insult to our intelligence. How dare these B-grade shows get a prime-time slot and dare to call themselves reality? Everybody knows that those shows, like Survivor, Big Brother and Australian Idol are obviously scripted acting. We are happy to watch the people in these shows, happy to laugh at them and argue about them and watch them make fools of themselves on national television. For us, the viewer, these shows are not reality. They are mere entertainment, a trifle; nothing overly important. But, just for a moment, think about the people in those shows, the ones who are providing us with entertainment. It is reality for them. They are living the shows, living Survivor and Big Brother and the tears and pain and humiliation. Their reality has become our entertainment, our perception. Their reality is nothing to us. It doesn't compute against our reality, we don't connect with them. It has nothing to do with what we as the consumer live every day. It isn't what we perceive to be reality.

And now, how about some backing from a high-profile psychologist? Dr. Phil has ten life laws, which he says are foolproof ways of living happily and successfully. One of these life laws is "there is no reality, only perception". The description of this life law goes on to say that we, the individual, chooses what we see, what we hear, what we do and how we react to every situation we are faced with. Every person sees the world differently.

So, with all this evidence, we are forced to accept that reality is nothing more than an abstract concept. It is up to the individual to decide what their reality is, up to them to perceive their world. Reality and everything in it - truth, lies, emotions - are subject to alterations at the hand of perception. Reality is nothing more than perception; as Maurits Escher said: Are you really sure a floor can not also be a ceiling?