(Forward and backward navigation buttons only work on 4.0 browsers) Copyright © 1997, Jay Ligda.  All rights reserved.  Published by Humans in the Universe and Jay Ligda. Third versus First-Person Perception       Third-person perception is objective observation from the outside in; First-person perception is subjective observation from the inside out (Hanna, 1986).   When perceiving another from the third-person perspective, "the phenomenon of a human body is perceived" (Hanna as cited in Greene, p. 102).   Behavior and dialogue can be observed through the visual and auditory channel, however, the "inner workings" of a human being are not visible from the third-person perspective.   First-person perception allows us access to all inner feelings, sensations, intentions, and internal functioning.       In viewing oneself from the third-person, one can develop what Fromm (1947) called a "marketing orientation.  " An orientation is the way an individual relates to the world.   The marketing orientation is where one views oneself as a commodity to be bought and sold in the market place; bought and sold, at the cost of one's internal experiences.       In communicating with another person from a third-person perspective, it would be easy to command that person's behavior based on a set of rules that may contradict that individual's internal experiences.  From this perspective language will be full of words that objectify the other.   If the other views the communicator as an authority, they may disregard their own internal experiences and live by the communicator's rules, thus creating for the other a mind-body split.       In communicating from the first-person perspective, language would be filled with words that convey the internal experience (Greene, 1995).   From this perspective, the purpose of communication is to convey ones own experiences.   It does not objectify the other nor does it command their behavior.   The individual is free to process the information they are given and act on it based on their own internal experiences. by Jay Ligda (This work is a all or part of an original work first published/written for John. F Kennedy University:  Final Integrative Project, Mar1996.) (Forward and backward navigation buttons only work on 4.0 browsers) References Fromm, E. (1947).  Man for Himself:  An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics.  New york, NY:  Fawcett. Greene, D. (1995).  Embodying Holism:  A Somatic Perspective on Communication.  Dissertation.  Columbus, OH:  Ohio State University. Hanna, T.L. (1986).  "What is Somatics?"  Somatic:  Magazine/Journal of the Bodily Arts and Sciences. E-mail Comments and Suggestions (Forward and backward navigation buttons only work on 4.0 browsers)