Misperception

Paul Wehr

As conflict emerges, opponents are very likely to misperceive at least somewhat the other's goals, motives and attributes. As the role of enemy is thrust upon one's opponent, it is seen to behave pretty much as one would expect an opponent to do. A self-fulfilling prophecy begins to operate and the perceived enemy becomes a real one. Opposing sides create the conflict in part by how they make sense of what is happening between them. Conflict reality depends heavily on how the conflict parties explain to themselves and others what is going on. The parties may see their respective goals as highly incompatible where in fact they are not. But acting on such misperceptions may actually make them so.

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