What You See May Not Be What You Get

What You See May Not Be What You Get Wray Herbert is the author of Think Twice; Outsmarting Your Mind’s Hard-Wired Habits, a really readable guide about a fascinating subject. He’s been a science and health editor at U.S. News and World Report and editor in chief of Psychology Today, and has been writing about psychology for over 25 years. Think Twice is about how your lizard brain works. I’ve written about your lizard brain earlier than ; it’s a part of what Herbert calls the “twin-processor” brain. The brain, he writes, has two very totally different operating methods. “One is logical, sluggish deliberate and cautious. The other is much older and extra primitive â€" quick and impressionistic, generally irrational.” The technical term for this brain is the heuristic thoughts. The time period heuristic, which Wikipedia says comes from the Greek word for ‘discover’ or ‘discover,’ “refers to experience-based techniques for downside fixing, studying, and discovery. Where an exhaustive search is im practical, heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of discovering a satisfactory answer.” We call heuristic approaches “instinct” and “guessing” as well. We all use this a part of the brain â€" imagine how onerous it might be to have to think about every alternative we make, to reason by way of each determination. Our brains could be overloaded. So nature allows us to use heuristics for a lot of frequent duties. That’s the excellent news. The “momentum” heuristic is what allows us to catch a ball. If an outfielder needed to carry out the calculus required to place himself underneath a fly ball, he’d by no means have the ability to do it. But his mind (and any 10-yr-old’s) allows him to easily move, judging speed, distance and drive by instinct. The identical factor goes for avoiding an object in the street or getting a fork to your mouth. If we had to consider the way to do it, the world would be a very different place (and it's for people with stroke or mind injury.) But the heuristic thoughts isn't rational. It “causes” by intuition and visual metaphor. Herbert writes that the majority of our longstanding metaphors are based on heuristics. Feeling extreme chilly is not a wholesome thing for humans, so we learn to huddle and hug each other for heat from infancy. Our metaphors for loneliness and rejection really are based on cold (give somebody the cold shoulder, for instance.) The metaphor and heuristic are so intertwined that after we feel chilly, we really feel lonely, and when take a look at topics were made to feel lonely (via an exercise that made them really feel rejected by others) they actually estimated the temperature of the room they were in to be 5 degrees cooler than it truly was. Think about that for a moment. Your lizard brain perceives reality based mostly on what you’re feeling. Herbert goes on to speak concerning the “visionary heuristic.” Studies have shown that folks with a worry of heights “see† the bottom at a distance of about five toes additional away than individuals who don’t worry heights. We understand hills to be a lot steeper after we’re drained. People perceive the holes in a golf course as much smaller after playing a bad game than after taking part in properly. In different phrases, what you see will not be what really is. How does that change the best way you strategy your job search? I even have often mentioned that the world is a special place for some folks, and I was nearer to the truth than I realized. We know that things seem tougher after we’re drained and worn down. You could literally see the world as a colder, steeper, more durable place. So rule one, is to get some sleep before tackling a tough project. Rule two is to herald a second opinion when you can. Our brains usually are not all the time dependable as a result of we don’t all the time know when our lizard mind is doing the considering. Sales individuals have recognized this for centu ries. They have managed to position products in a way that helps our lizard brain make buying selections (“for simply pennies a day, you'll be able to have an alarm system in your home.”) Our heuristic mind makes the decision, however when your spouse asks about it later, it’s your rational brain that makes up reasons. Trust me â€" we do that all the time. We decide the red one or the one on the left, after which make up reasons why that one was better. Next time you’re dreading a task or making a decision, ask yourself: which mind of mine is doing the speaking right here? Published by candacemoody Candace’s background consists of Human Resources, recruiting, coaching and evaluation. She spent a number of years with a nationwide staffing company, serving employers on both coasts. Her writing on business, career and employment points has appeared in the Florida Times Union, the Jacksonville Business Journal, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and 904 Magazine, as well as seve ral nationwide publications and web sites. Candace is usually quoted within the media on local labor market and employment issues.