We could understand it something like in quantum physics. We can't measure anything without changing it. Similarly, we can't perceive anything without overlaying an interpretation on it. We don't perceive a jumble of sense impressions, we perceive things. Our entire life history and culture is involved in every act of perception. One person perceives the 2020 election and sees a malicious conspiracy thwarting the will of the people. Another perceives democracy working, a little messier than usual, but working.
I look at a chair and see someplace to sit. But if there is a bar fight going on, I perceive something to bash somebody over the head with, or to use to prevent myself from being bashed over the head.
Instrumentalism never leaves us, and it involves our entire life history. We almost never think about it but without it we would see a jumble of meaningless sense impressions and go mad. This is why the quest for AGI is so hopeless. Unless machines can have life histories, culture, desires, and needs they will never be sentient.
If they somehow obtain those things we are well and truly fucked.
We assume there is some kind of inaccessible "real" substrate under everything, as in what science tries to get at, but even that supposition is conditioned by our life history and culture.
I did it right there, brought in my scientific background.