What is your criteria for determining whether or not your senses are reliable? Either explain how you decide, or acknowledge that you just pick and choose what suits you.
I saw this in another thread and thought it could make an interesting discussion.
How much does one trust their senses in everyday situations?
In most day to day situations I trust my senses for many things without really giving it much thought. However, when it comes right down to it, I don't think I trust my senses alone for many important things in my daily life.
I'll give some examples. If I hang a picture in my bedroom, I probably just glance at it, and if it looks fairly level, I leave it at that. But if I'm putting up a shelf, it's a bigger deal, and more important to be level, so I get out an instrument that takes perception and sensory guesswork out of the process (I.E. a bubble-level).
If there were no speed limits and limited traffic, I would probably just go a speed that felt comfortable to me and safe for those around me. Guessing my speed based on my senses and perception would suffice. However, since there are speed limits and knowing how fast I'm going is important, I again take perception and senses out of the picture and use the speedometer of my vehicle to determine speed, rather than my senses.
If someone asked how long my driveway was I would probably just estimate it based on the perceived distance my senses tell me it is. It's just a casual conversation, so it really isn't that important. If I had to re-pave my driveway and needed to buy supplies and figure costs, I would use a tool to determine the length.
If I was asked how big my picture window is I might say it was eight feet wide by five feet high, based solely on my senses. However, if I was buying new shades for the window, I would get an instrument to determine the size, taking my perception out of the picture so I was sure I would get the correct size shade.
An anesthesiologist wouldn't determine how much sedative to give a person based on the fact that it "looked" like enough. They would use a precision instrument to measure out the correct amount.
I realize I'm rambling a bit. However, I just wanted to stress the point that in daily life, I really don't rely solely on my senses for many things which are terribly important or require precision. I realize that my senses are employed in the use of those instruments, but my perceptions from my senses are not being relied upon to judge size, distance, weight, volume, speed, etc.
Virtually anything I determine based on senses, I confirm with instruments if any doubt or debate arises, or if a situation presents where the determination becomes important or requires confirmation or precision.
What are the thoughts of the people here?