Perception versus Reality

Much of life is based on perception.  It is surprising how little is based on reality.

The applicant who is perceived to be the best is the one who gets the job, not necessarily the applicant who is the best.  This is part of what makes hiring extremely complex.

Markets move based on the perceptions of the participants, which can often diverge from reality for extended periods.  Getting a job is part of the labor market, and is therefore based on perception.

Most departments in most businesses function on perception.  Conflict arises at the interface between the perception departments and the reality departments.  Generally engineering and manufacturing have to be based in reality.  As you move further from these departments, you can depart further from reality.

Some functions, such as accounting, are anchored to reality to an extent, but still have significant discretion to diverge from reality when convenient.