Are our perceptions and interpretations merely indirect representations—constructed and adjusted against prior experiences via predictive processing—where the brain as a “prediction machine” has minimal direct access to the external world? Or do sensations provide a direct, construction-free correspondence with that world? There is reason to consider a middle path between these two extremes: a perspective that embraces the dynamic interplay of individual perceptual engagement with the environment, navigating a complex array of known and unknown elements, both directly and indirectly, while engaging in ongoing processes of sense-making and skill acquisition.