A chair can be a place to rest, an obstacle in a narrow room or the last item someone needs to pack. Its physical shape may stay the same while the description changes with the person looking at it.
Give each observer a practical concern
Invent two people and one immediate task. One is exhausted and wants to sit; the other is measuring whether the chair will fit through a doorway. Write five sentences from each person’s perspective.
Do not begin by assigning a personality label such as cheerful or pessimistic. A concrete task gives you a clearer reason for noticing the height, the worn seat or the awkward arms.
Keep a shared physical core
The chair should remain recognisable across both descriptions. If its dimensions and condition change completely, you are describing two different objects rather than testing selective attention.
Underline details both observers notice. Then mark details unique to each account. Ask whether the differences arise naturally from their concerns or merely from swapping positive adjectives for negative ones.
Bring the exercise back to a scene
Choose the version that belongs to your current character’s situation. You may only need one or two details from the exercise, not the whole paragraph.
For the next step, pair this with dialogue shaped by small conflicting goals. What a character notices and what they say can both emerge from the practical pressure of the moment, without requiring a paragraph that explains their entire personality.