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Victoria Klein's Reviews > The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us
by Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons
by Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons
Do you ever feel like your mind is playing tricks on you?
You’re not crazy – your instincts are deceiving you (those bastards).
My latest rental from the library, The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, provides a jaw-droppingly fascinating perspective into mental illusions that influence our every word, action, and thought.
Chabris & Simons, both established cognitive psychologists, are best known for their “Gorillas in Our Midst” study (click the link to try it for yourself!). Their gorilla study (and namesake for the book) is used to illustrate the first of 6 everyday illusions: the illusion of attention. In subsequent chapters, the other 5 illusions are explained in detail: memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, & potential.
What we intuitively accept and believe is derived from what we collectively assume and understand, and intuition influences our decisions automatically and without reflection. Intuition tells us that we pay attention to more than we do, that our memories are more detailed and robust than they are, that confident people are competent people, that we know more that we really do, that coincidences and correlations demonstrate causation, and that our brains have vast reserves of power that are easy to unlock. But in all these cases, our intuitions are wrong, and they can cost us our fortunes, our health, and even our lives if we follow them blindly. — Page 231
Admittedly, the book may sound like a bit of a downer, but I found it to be extremely intriguing. Included with the extensive explanation of each illusion, Chabris & Simons provide straightforward info on how to break these illusions for yourself. As you might expect, the key is to stop & think before you speak or act, ensuring you are acting from a perspective from of misconceptions.
When you think about the world with an awareness of everyday illusions, you won’t be as sure of yourself as you used to be, but you will have new insights into how your mind works, and new ways of understanding why people act the way they do. Often, it’s not because of stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, or lack of focus. It’s because of the everyday illusions that affect us all. — Page 242
If you have a curiosity for psychology & the instinctual functions of the human mind, I’m quite sure you will enjoy The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us as much as I did.
You’re not crazy – your instincts are deceiving you (those bastards).
My latest rental from the library, The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, provides a jaw-droppingly fascinating perspective into mental illusions that influence our every word, action, and thought.
Chabris & Simons, both established cognitive psychologists, are best known for their “Gorillas in Our Midst” study (click the link to try it for yourself!). Their gorilla study (and namesake for the book) is used to illustrate the first of 6 everyday illusions: the illusion of attention. In subsequent chapters, the other 5 illusions are explained in detail: memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, & potential.
What we intuitively accept and believe is derived from what we collectively assume and understand, and intuition influences our decisions automatically and without reflection. Intuition tells us that we pay attention to more than we do, that our memories are more detailed and robust than they are, that confident people are competent people, that we know more that we really do, that coincidences and correlations demonstrate causation, and that our brains have vast reserves of power that are easy to unlock. But in all these cases, our intuitions are wrong, and they can cost us our fortunes, our health, and even our lives if we follow them blindly. — Page 231
Admittedly, the book may sound like a bit of a downer, but I found it to be extremely intriguing. Included with the extensive explanation of each illusion, Chabris & Simons provide straightforward info on how to break these illusions for yourself. As you might expect, the key is to stop & think before you speak or act, ensuring you are acting from a perspective from of misconceptions.
When you think about the world with an awareness of everyday illusions, you won’t be as sure of yourself as you used to be, but you will have new insights into how your mind works, and new ways of understanding why people act the way they do. Often, it’s not because of stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, or lack of focus. It’s because of the everyday illusions that affect us all. — Page 242
If you have a curiosity for psychology & the instinctual functions of the human mind, I’m quite sure you will enjoy The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us as much as I did.
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