What I’ve come to realize is that our realities are static until something changes them. That change almost always comes from knowledge. Reality, at its core, is perception. And perception is shaped by what we know. One of the statements I often say is: We don’t share realities, we only share space.
Knowledge reshapes your perception, and that reshaped perception becomes your new reality. For example, as I continue to study psychology and dive deeper into my field of software engineering, I notice how both are expanding the way I see the world. On one side, I’m understanding the systems and technologies that shape our digital world. On the other, I’m learning more about how people think, how I perceive others, and how others might perceive me.
That knowledge begins to create a loop. My reality changes not just from what I know, but from how I react to what I know. I start altering how I live based on how I believe others are interpreting me. My awareness grows, and with it, the boundaries of my reality shift.
This is why I call our realities microcosms. They’re small, self-contained worlds shaped by our personal experiences and knowledge. You and I can be in the same physical space, but we’re not experiencing the same reality. While I may be studying psychology and becoming more sensitive to human behavior, someone next to me might be carefree and unaware. My reality becomes more complex, maybe even heavier, while theirs feels light and untouched.
Space is easy to share. Reality isn’t.
And the more you know, the more your reality evolves, for better or worse. Knowledge can expand your world, but it can also shrink it. One of the hardest parts about learning something new is that you can’t unlearn it. Once it’s in you, it changes you.
Take this for example: imagine growing up loving a specific candy. It brought you joy. It was sweet and nostalgic. Then one day, you learn that this candy is causing harm to your body. You can’t look at it the same again. That simple pleasure is now tainted by truth. Your reality has shifted. And now, when you see someone else enjoying that same candy, your mind might go: They have no idea.
That’s the burden of knowledge. It often creates a quiet sense of duty. You feel the need to inform others and to awaken them. Because now that your own reality has changed, it feels selfish to watch others live in ignorance. But not all knowledge is liberating. Sometimes, it complicates things. Sometimes, it removes the magic.
The truth is, the more you know, the more responsibility you carry. Reality becomes less whimsical and more mechanical. You start seeing the strings behind the curtain. You start connecting dots that maybe weren’t meant to be connected yet. You learn things that rob life of its mystery, its beauty, its art.
Some knowledge comes with a heavy cost. Life can lose its glow when everything is explained. Some things aren’t meant to be known. And maybe that’s the beauty of it, the freedom in not knowing, the sacredness in mystery.
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