To live an authentic life, you need to know and use the words percept and concept correctly. One half of your brain knows the world through percepts. The other half of your brain doesn’t, it transforms reality into abstract ideas with language. If you live a life based on concepts—you, tragically, live in a virtual world—not the real one.

Definitions

Percept (Merriam-Webster): an impression of an object obtained by use of the senses; sense data

Sense data (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy):

Sense data constitute what we, as perceiving subjects, are directly aware of in perceptual experience, prior to cognitive acts such as inferring, judging, or affirming that such-and-such objects or properties are present. 

Concept (Merriam-Webster): an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular instances

The Distinction

• When an idea, opinion, belief or judgement is formed, that’s a concept.
• What’s seen, heard, tasted, smelled and felt before any judgement is formed, that’s a percept. By definition, the percept of anything can never be said (conceptualized; put into language).

Misuse

People often confuse and misuse these two words. The error is usually made by attempting to substitute the word perceive (perceiving) for what’s properly the word conceive (conceiving).

Examples

• The sentence, “I perceive you’re making fun of me,” is wrong because it states an opinion.
  • “I conceive you’re making fun of me,” is correct because relates to the formation of a belief. (This sentence is true but no one uses the term “conceive” like this. Instead, we use the synonyms: “believe,” “think,” and “seems” (as in “idea”).
• “I perceive it as red,” is also the wrong use of the word perceive because it offers a judgement.
  • “I conceive it as red,” is correct because it relates to the formation of an opinion. (Again, though true, no one uses the word “conceive” like this in every-day language.)