---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the things that I find especially…"
description: "\"“One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the propensity for people to perceive reality as dyadic, comprised of two oppositional elements...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg"
---

#  One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the…

![“One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the propensity for people to perceive reality as dyadic, comprised of two oppositional elements. Some prominent examples are our assignment of good–evil, right–wrong, just–unjust, heaven–hell, conservative–liberal, rich–poor, us–them. I also…” quote by Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg)

> ““One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the propensity for people to perceive reality as dyadic, comprised of two oppositional elements. Some prominent examples are our assignment of good–evil, right–wrong, just–unjust, heaven–hell, conservative–liberal, rich–poor, us–them. I also refer to this as compartmental minimalism because of our tendency to force our understanding of reality into as few categories as possible. Essentially, by perceiving reality in this way, we intentionally and unintentionally, reduce the cognitive load. We do not want the hassle of too many details or abstractions; however, this convenience comes at a cost that goes unacknowledged. We essentially build a false reality bit-by-bit.””

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote warns that simplifying complex reality into binary oppositions reduces nuance and creates a misleading, oversimplified view.

**In simple terms:** Binary thinking oversimplifies reality and hides nuance.

Key Takeaway

Seek richer, multi‑dimensional perspectives.

Themes

cognition bias complexity perception reality

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- political debate
- ethical discussions
- media analysis
- personal decision making
- education curricula

Key Concepts

false dichotomy compartmentalization cognitive economy

Questions to Reflect On

- How might you reframe a binary issue into a spectrum?
- What are the hidden costs of oversimplification?

A Different Perspective

Binary framing can ignore important middle ground and lead to polarization.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Compartmental Minimalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compartmental-minimalism-4775532/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [False reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-reality/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Neuroscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neuroscience/) [Perceive Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive-reality-240473/) [Perceiving Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceiving-reality-1401348/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reality Dyadic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-dyadic-4775531/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Understanding Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-reality-611835/)

## Related quotes

> [Rationalization is a process of not perceiving reality, but of attempting to make reality fit one’s emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/rationalization-is-a-process-of-not-perceiving-reality-but-of/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [If you're living with a scientist, you see the world differently than you do with a humanist. It's in some ways very subtle, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/if-you-re-living-with-a-scientist-you-see-the-world-differently-than/)

[Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/)

> [The difference between what people perceive and what's reality is that, like, I'm not actually shy. I'm just observant. I care a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/partynextdoor/the-difference-between-what-people-perceive-and-what-s-reality-is/)

[PartyNextDoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/partynextdoor/)

> [“Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life. If the map is true and accurate, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/our-view-of-reality-is-like-a-map-with-which-to-negotiate-the-terrain-2/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [Besides our eyes, skin and the other senses through which we receive the shadows of the exterior reality, we have a 'mental eye' (intelligence)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jes-s-zamora-bonilla/besides-our-eyes-skin-and-the-other-senses-through-which-we-receive/)

[Jesús Zamora-Bonilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jes-s-zamora-bonilla/)

> [“Our beliefs shape how we perceive reality to be, and the belief that shapes our current perception of reality was adopted by the worldview…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/our-beliefs-shape-how-we-perceive-reality-to-be-and-the-belief-that/)

[Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/)

> [“First Principle of Biocentrism: What we perceive as reality is a process that involves our consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-lanza/first-principle-of-biocentrism-what-we-perceive-as-reality-is-a/)

[Robert P. Lanza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-lanza/)

> [If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/if-there-s-a-thing-a-scene-maybe-an-image-that-you-want-to-see-real/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [People assume that they perceive reality as it is, that our senses accurately record the outside world. Yet the science suggests that, in important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/people-assume-that-they-perceive-reality-as-it-is-that-our-senses/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [When we start to heal and perceive what I call love consciousness, we begin to perceive reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isha-judd/when-we-start-to-heal-and-perceive-what-i-call-love-consciousness-we/)

[Isha Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isha-judd/)

> [We don't live in the world of reality, we live in the world of how we perceive reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/we-don-t-live-in-the-world-of-reality-we-live-in-the-world-of-how-we/)

[Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/)

> [The more effort we make to appreciate and perceive reality, the larger and more accurate our maps will be. But many do not want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-more-effort-we-make-to-appreciate-and-perceive-reality-the-larger/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [“The inability to correctly perceive reality is often responsible for humans' insane behavior. And every time they substitute an all-purpose, sloppy slang word for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-inability-to-correctly-perceive-reality-is-often-responsible-for/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [“Truth and reality are two different things. Truth is nothing more or less than an expression of reality as you perceive it, while reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/truth-and-reality-are-two-different-things-truth-is-nothing-more-or/)

[Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/)

> [“What you remember, it’s real. It doesn’t matter how accurate your memory of something is, it is real to you. What you perceive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/what-you-remember-it-s-real-it-doesn-t-matter-how-accurate-your/)

[Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/)

## More by Brian Goedken

> [“When it comes to the Big Questions in Life, the preponderance of evidence should be our best advisor to inform our Beliefs. The companion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/when-it-comes-to-the-big-questions-in-life-the-preponderance-of/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [ “\[On the Human Soul\] While the Bible offers a clear distinction that the soul is separate from the body and discusses the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/on-the-human-soul-while-the-bible-offers-a-clear-distinction-that-the/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“When it comes to the Big Questions in Life, the preponderance of evidence is the best advisor to inform our beliefs. The companion enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/when-it-comes-to-the-big-questions-in-life-the-preponderance-of-2/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“We also have to be particularly wary of imaginative thought processes for we can very easily create things and ideas in our minds that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/we-also-have-to-be-particularly-wary-of-imaginative-thought-processes/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“Nowhere in the definition of Religion is there a mandate for religions to self-challenge or revamp their theological positions based on new enlightenment. Rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/nowhere-in-the-definition-of-religion-is-there-a-mandate-for/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“Because the brain does not possess robust ‘fault detectors’, the brain will just as easily encode irrational thoughts and beliefs just as it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/because-the-brain-does-not-possess-robust-fault-detectors-the-brain/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“When we look at the frailties of the human mind and the apparent disinterest by the multitude to do the very hard work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/when-we-look-at-the-frailties-of-the-human-mind-and-the-apparent/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“When it comes to our embedded beliefs, our relative intolerance to ambiguous and contrary information leads us in many instances to ignore or less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/when-it-comes-to-our-embedded-beliefs-our-relative-intolerance-to/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“To challenge the verity of one’s own beliefs is to be courageous. To separate the truth from falsity is to be wise. To take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/to-challenge-the-verity-of-one-s-own-beliefs-is-to-be-courageous-to/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

> [“How can we consider ourselves to be rational and proclaim that God is ineffable—beyond our frail human abilities to comprehend him—and in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/how-can-we-consider-ourselves-to-be-rational-and-proclaim-that-god-is/)

[Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

[Explore all 11 Brian Goedken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the propensity for people to perceive reality as dyadic, comprised of two oppositional elements. Some prominent examples are our assignment of good–evil, right–wrong, just–unjust, heaven–hell, conservative–liberal, rich–poor, us–them. I also refer to this as compartmental minimalism because of our tendency to force our understanding of reality into as few categories as possible. Essentially, by perceiving reality in this way, we intentionally and unintentionally, reduce the cognitive load. We do not want the hassle of too many details or abstractions; however, this convenience comes at a cost that goes unacknowledged. We essentially build a false reality bit-by-bit.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brian Goedken"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially-worrisome-is-the-propensity/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially-worrisome-is-the-propensity/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e9/brian-goedken-38890_christianity_one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially_2191518.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One of the things that I find especially worrisome is the propensity for people to perceive reality as…” — Brian Goedken",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Brian Goedken",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“One of the things that I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially-worrisome-is-the-propensity/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/one-of-the-things-that-i-find-especially-worrisome-is-the-propensity/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
