Truth Versus Perception

Penny points out through various examples, including the posting of the edited video of the drug raid, that the mind sees what it expects to see, often despite a person’s attempt to remain unbiased. Multiple law enforcement officers, as well as the judge in Tracey’s case, demonstrate that they fall prey to following their perceptions of a person rather than the truth when they decide that he is responsible for killing Vivienne even though that turns out not to be the truth. Social media demonstrates the way people can skew the truth in order to make it appear what they want it to be. In a lighter example, Clara’s emotional turmoil over the worth of her paintings, and her friends’ reactions to her paintings, demonstrates the way a person’s emotions can impact his perception.

Gamache decides not to criticize Ruth...