Perception. What are we actually seeing?

There is so much distance between what is physically outside there: an object, a person, animal, plant, mineral, spec of dust, whatever; and us perceiving it: our brain giving us information about this object, what it is and that it's there. Perception. Tainted with our ideas, emotions, thoughts, opinions; preconceptions, ours and those of others. Preconceptions of how things usually are, how things should be, how things shouldn't be, what exists, what doesn't exist, what's possible, what's impossible, what we like, what we don't like, and so much more.

Everything we percieve travels and morphs during perception, so that when our brain eventually registers it and gives us information on what we're seeing, it no longer is the object or situation that exists out there on its own without us perceiving it.