How do we know if we're all seeing the same thing?

Question

For example: If I look at something, point at it, and say it is orange, then how do I know that you're not actually seeing green, but since we both call it orange, we both perceive it as orange? You could really be seeing the green that I think is green, but you could be calling it orange.

Answer 1

This seems to me to be a philosophy question, but never mind. Many philosophers through the ages have, in fact, asked exactly this question.
"Orange" and "green" are simply convenient - but completely arbitrary - labels we give to particular sensory impressions. If we all agree to call one sensation "orange" and a different one "green", then we "know" it only because that is the label we have agreed to use.
An interesting example of cultural differences, though, is something I've noticed in Japan. The traffic lights here are basically the same color they are in the US, but the Japanese say "blue" about the one we call "green".
Another interesting topic might be how color-blind people respond to what "normal" people call "red" and "green" (the most common form of color blindness). They obviously see something we don't (or perhaps it's vice versa), but they learn to use the same words to describe the sensory input.

For some interesting but slightly difficult essays, see the links below to some academic philosophy discussions about the perception of color to both philosophy and to science. Fascinating.

Answer 2

good point!I have always though of it but people have laughed at me.I think it that different eye colors see differnt shades of colors or just over all color.Because they teach you in kindigarden.And how do they know that dogs can only see in black white and grey?They cant.There are many things in this world that have not been figured out yet,just keep on researching and who knows,Maybe oneday there will be kids in school learning about you and how you wherte the first to resolve the colormystery.GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 3

I've always wondered that!!!!! It's kind of a freaky thought. I guess we'll never know though.... I also heard that there's some kind of like... bird, or bug, or something that can see way more colors than us... and we can't even imagine a color that we can't see. Cause any color we can imagine is just a mixture of the primary colors. Ahh!

Answer 4

i've always wondered that as well.
idk. i always thought it would be cool if we could put cameras into people's eyes and see through them, and how their life is....

Answer 5

this question belongs in philosophy, not geography