Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Main Ideas:
The main idea/thesis of the first chapter is that when a person focuses really hard on a specific task, they miss objects that are so obvious to the eye, and right in front of them without noticing it consciously. So, a psychology experiment was conducted called the "gorilla experiment". During the experiment, people were surveyed and shown a video in which they had to focus on a very specific task happening in the video. While the people surveyed were looking at the task, a gorilla walked onto the scene, standing right in front of the camera where it is clearly visible. Since the people surveyed were so drawn into and focused on their task, about half of them completely didn't notice the gorilla that walked onto the screen. I watched the video, and tried the experiment. I didn't notice the gorilla right away, but it took me a few moments to realize there is a gorilla standing in front of me. The book explained that due to the high concentration during the experiment, the mind psychologically eliminated all imagery happening around the task, causing the viewer kind of blind. I found that to be a very interesting point of perspective on the human mind and concentration.

Quotes:
It was very interesting to me to find out that even though we think we see everything that is happening in front of us and around us is just a psychological illusion that only allows us to see a small portion of our full perspective. A very interesting quote that I found in the chapter states, "We think we should see anything in front of us, but in fact we are aware of only a small portion of our visual world at any moment. The idea that we can look but not see is flatly incompatible with how we understand our own minds, and this mistaken understanding can lead to incautious or overconfident decisions." (pg. 13) This quote was very significant to me because it made me reflect on my own psychological status, and in how many situations have I been in (such as j-walking), in which I have only seen a small amount of what is happening on the road, and think that I am completely safe and clear. This idea makes me want to be more cautious when interacting in potentially dangerous environments.

Principles:
To me, the best element and the most efficient way to make a point clearer and less debatable is the use of real stories and facts. By using many examples and actual studies, the authors were able to support and prove their point. The chapter really focuses on mind perception in general and how our mind tricks us into psychological illusions, by using real life events and facts, it ties back to the main idea of the book about our intuitions and how they deceive us.