Perception - a definition

perception (noun): a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem:

• We have to change the public's perception that money is being wasted.
• These photographs will affect people's perceptions of war.

More examples

• There is a general perception that exams are becoming easier to pass.
• It is my perception that his argument was fundamentally flawed.
• We need to change people's perception of the military.
• These perceptions reflect those of the general public.
• Popular perception of him is gradually changing.

(Definition of perception from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press. Shared with you as I try and establish whether what I am feeling at the moment is truly how things are or just someone else's perception of what is reported. Keep an open mind.)