By such a comparison he is doing very well. But, the instructor, thinking in terms of competent traveling, sees that the student is disoriented, veers, and is afraid. The student sees the influence of his family according to his physical and emotional needs. He cannot allow himself to be too critical of them because he is dependent on them. Or he speaks harshly about how shabbily the family treats him now that he is blind when, in fact, the conflict predates the onset of blindness.
Stress also contributes to the distortion of perception.
And the person who has recently lost his sight is usually functioning under considerable stress. He is trying to do without sight, things he formerly did with good sight. And the pressure he feels colors what he does and how he sees things. Lowered self-esteem may also result in an exaggerated description of the student's own abilities. Because he feels devalued, he must describe anything he does in a way that will help him feel better about himself as a person.