Objective Reality Doesn't Exist

A soft inquiry into the many versions of reality we live inside, shaped by history, memory, and mind.

As humans, we exist in a paradox: we are both remarkably complex and profoundly simple. We often ask ourselves how much of life is shaped by our choices versus how much simply happens to us. The answer, perhaps, is that this tension itself is the essence of the human experience. But as history shows, the human experience is far from consistent. This inconsistency can be explained by the lack of objective reality—a concept supported by quantum mechanics, which suggests that reality differs based on the observer. It might sound abstract, but it makes more sense than it seems.

We begin with what we know to be real in our world—tangible things like atoms, rivers, rocks, plants, and canyons. These are things we can see and measure. Yet we also hold beliefs in things we cannot see, like the afterlife, which exist solely in our minds. For something to be objectively real, it must exist in a physical form, but human culture complicates this.

What we often value most—society, culture, government, economics—are intangible constructs that we treat as real. These systems set us apart and define who we are.

As Greg Anderson explains, nonhuman entities like nature are often treated as mere “backdrops to human culture.” Above all, humans strive to be individuals, believing we were created by nature to thrive as independent beings. Yet this framing of reality is not universal; it is specific to our modern world. Looking back at earlier civilizations shows how deeply subjective reality can be.

Take Ancient Athens, for example. The Athenians were the pioneers of Western traditions, from philosophy to democracy and drama, yet their reality was fundamentally different from ours. Their world was defined not by humans or individuality but by gods, nymphs, fate, curses, and magical forces. To the Athenians, the gods weren’t abstract beliefs; they were tangible presences, inhabiting temples and attending sacrifices. Over 200 gods governed their world, controlling life’s essentials—sunshine, rainfall, childbirth, family health, and wealth.

Nature, too, was a living force to them. The land wasn’t merely territory; it was a goddess, revered and cared for accordingly. Individuals weren’t seen as independent entities but as inseparable extensions of their families, born to serve and preserve the lineage that gave them life. This collective, interconnected view of reality wasn’t unique to the Athenians. Similar beliefs governed existence in ancient Egypt, ancient China, precolonial Peru and Mexico, and other early civilizations.

In contrast, our modern world was shaped by the scientific revolution and enlightenment, rooted in experimental capitalism. These shifts radically transformed reality into something to be measured, observed, and controlled. On a large scale, this demonstrates how reality changes depending on who is observing it.

When I was younger, I wondered if we all see colors differently. How could someone prefer yellow over blue, I thought, unless we were all seeing entirely different things? Perhaps we’ve each learned to label the same color differently, or maybe we’re all slightly colorblind, registering unique shades that appear similar only by convention. This childhood curiosity reveals a deeper truth: we don’t all experience the same reality.

Reality is not fixed or definitive; it is shaped by observation.

If I see something and know it to be true, even if no one else sees it, that observation brings my reality into existence. Likewise, multiple people can interpret the same information differently, each creating a distinct version of the truth. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “There are no facts, only interpretations.” I think about how memories bend and fade, shaped not by what happened but by what we needed them to be. So perhaps we all share the same “favorite color” after all—just interpreted differently.

This fluidity of perception challenges the very idea of objective reality. There is no singular way to view the world. Instead, we grow attached to our subjective truths, clinging to the observations we hold as fact. But understanding the universe requires us to step outside our comfort zones and detach from our individual perceptions.

Imagine spending your entire life locked in a windowless room. Your reality would lack any sense of day or night, summer or winter, mountains or cities. Your experience of the world would be entirely different from someone outside that room. Yet your reality would be no less valid than theirs, and theirs would be no less true than yours.

This brings us to the role of consciousness. Without an objective world, consciousness becomes the stage on which reality unfolds. Reality doesn’t exist independently of observation; instead, it emerges within the subjective realm of consciousness. Reality, then, is not something that happens to us—it is something that happens within us.