Sage McKenna Manny Brinton
What makes us human?: Distorted Perception
“Something about me that most people don’t know is that I am partially colour-blind, specifically red/green colour-blind. I first discovered this when I was 16 in my grade 10 biology class. During our study of the eye, the textbook included colour-blind tests with coloured dots. The aim
was to identify the number in the middle of the dots. After attempting about ten of these tests, I could only see two or three of the numbers in the middle. So, I went to an eye doctor and underwent a test, which confirmed that I was colourblind. I can see red and green, but sometimes
they appear dull and diluted. I sometimes need help to differentiate between the two depending on the shade. Before discovering this, I had assumed everyone saw the world the same way I did. I love the colour blue and enjoy working with it because it has captivated me in an electrifying
and beautiful way.
Finding out that my perception of colour was different from other people was strange at first, but instead of viewing it as a burden, I’ve come to see it as a unique lens through which I experience
the world. My colour blindness has taught me that perception is not just about what we see. It is also about how we interpret and accept what we experience. Every single person views the world through their own unique lens. What may appear dull to one person could be extraordinary to
another, and vice versa. This difference in perspective doesn’t take away from the beauty which we behold; it enhances it. For me, blue has been a colour that speaks to me in ways other colours might not. It’s a reminder that even when our perception is “distorted,” there is beauty in how we
interpret the world around us.
Perception is not about how things are “supposed to” look but how we choose to see them. My hope is that my work inspires others to embrace their unique ways of seeing and to find meaning in what makes them different. Sometimes, it’s in those differences that we find our truth.”