ABSTRACT
Through the process of "social perception" we appraise the things and people around us and strive to assess what meanings they may have for the fulfillment of our role-identities. This statement does not mean that social perception is always selfish, for we often define others as people we want to help or love or make sacrifices for, but in the broad sense social perception is always self-centered. "Normal" sensitivity is a relative and human-centered yardstick, and, from the standpoint of the total wealth of data that could theoretically be perceived, the entire race of man is quite severely handicapped. It would be genocentric and pretentious to assume that nothing important happens that lies beyond our sense limits. The interpretation of incoming sensory perceptions by fitting them into abstract categories with attached stereotypes is altogether a gamble carried out by educated guesswork.
