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How Your Brain Tricks You Every Day Without You Realizing · The Infographics Show Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to Beyond Infographics. Today we're going on like
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  Speaker 1: a deep dive into the fascinating world of how our
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  Speaker 1: minds can sometimes well play tricks on us.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. It's a bit humbling, isn't it. You know, we
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  Speaker 2: like to think we're in control, making, you know, rational decisions,
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  Speaker 2: but they are all these subtle processes going on beneath the.
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  Speaker 1: Surface, right, Like, I consider myself a pretty logical person,
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  Speaker 1: but once you start digging into these cognitive biases and illusions,
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  Speaker 1: it's hard not to feel like your brain is pulling
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  Speaker 1: a fast one on you sometimes.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not about being illogical, it's about understanding that
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  Speaker 2: our brains have evolved to be efficient, not necessarily perfectly accurate.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense. So where do we even begin
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  Speaker 1: with unpacking all these mind tricks.
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  Speaker 2: Let's start with something relatable, hidden biases. These are essentially
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  Speaker 2: mental shortcuts that influence how we perceive and judge things,
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  Speaker 2: often without us even realizing it.
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  Speaker 1: So it's not necessarily intentional prejudice. It's more like our
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  Speaker 1: brains are trying to simplify the world by making these
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  Speaker 1: snap judgments.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly and you know, it may make sense from an
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  Speaker 2: evolutionary perspective, Our ancestors needed to make quick decisions to survive,
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  Speaker 2: so these shortcuts probably help them avoid danger.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so these biases were helpful back then, but maybe
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  Speaker 1: not so much in our modern world.
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  Speaker 2: Right. They can lead to all sorts of misjudgments and
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  Speaker 2: unfair assumptions. Take the halo effect for instance, This is
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  Speaker 2: the tendency to assume attractive people are also more intelligent, trustworthy,
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  Speaker 2: and kind.
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  Speaker 1: Oh. I've totally noticed that. It's like we automatically assign
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  Speaker 1: them all these positive qualities just based on their looks.
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  Speaker 1: I wonder if this is why we see so many
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  Speaker 1: good looking people in advertising.
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  Speaker 2: It wouldn't surprise me. The halo effect can be incredibly powerful,
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  Speaker 2: even if we're not consciously aware of it. And then
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  Speaker 2: there's hindsight bias that I knew it all along.
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  Speaker 1: Feeling hindsight bias That one gets me all the time,
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  Speaker 1: especially when I'm watching sports, like, of course they fumbled
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  Speaker 1: the ball. I knew it was going to happen.
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  Speaker 2: We all do it. Our brains love to create a
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  Speaker 2: narrative that makes us seem smarter or more perceptive than
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  Speaker 2: we actually are, protecting our egos, so We're not.
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  Speaker 1: Just susceptible to biases about other people. We also have
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  Speaker 1: biases that protect our own sense of.
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  Speaker 2: Self absolutely and one of the most common ways this
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  Speaker 2: manifests is through attributional bias, how we explain the causes
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  Speaker 2: of events, especially our own successes and failures.
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  Speaker 1: Oh interesting, I'm starting to see a pattern here. Our
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  Speaker 1: brains are all about taking shortcuts and protecting our egos.
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  Speaker 1: It's like a self preservation mechanism exactly.
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  Speaker 2: So Let's say you get a sunburn after a day
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  Speaker 2: at the beach. Who are you more likely to blame
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  Speaker 2: yourself for not reapplying sunscreen or the sunscreen itself for
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  Speaker 2: not being effective enough.
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  Speaker 1: Probably the sunscreen. It's easier than admitting I messed up.
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  Speaker 2: That's attributional bias and action. We tend to blame external
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  Speaker 2: factors for our failures while readily taking credit for our successes.
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  Speaker 2: It's a way of maintaining a positive self image.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, folks, I think we need a moment to process
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  Speaker 1: all this. But before we do, don't forget to give
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  Speaker 1: us a five star rating. If you're enjoying this deep
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  Speaker 1: dive into the mind. Now, this idea that our brains
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  Speaker 1: are constantly trying to simplify the world and protect our egos.
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  Speaker 1: Where does that lead us next?
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  Speaker 2: Well, it leads us to some pretty fascinating phenomena like
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  Speaker 2: perceptual illusions, where our brains literally fill in missing information
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  Speaker 2: based on assumptions and expectations.
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  Speaker 1: Perceptual illusions. Okay, now that sounds trippy. Tell me more.
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  Speaker 2: Have you ever heard of the Kinisi triangle illusion?
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  Speaker 1: Wait? I think I have. It's like those three pac
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  Speaker 1: Man shapes arranged in a circle, and your brain creates
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  Speaker 1: a triangle in the middle, right, but there are no
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  Speaker 1: actual lines forming the triangle.
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  Speaker 2: You got it. Our brains are so accustomed to seeing
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  Speaker 2: patterns and completing shapes that they create something out of nothing.
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  Speaker 2: It's a classic example of how our perception is an
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  Speaker 2: active construction, not a passive intake of information.
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  Speaker 1: Wyeah, that's wild. So we're not just talking about biases
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  Speaker 1: and how we think about things, but also in how
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  Speaker 1: we actually see the world exactly.
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  Speaker 2: And this active construction can be even more dramatic with
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  Speaker 2: motion after effects. You know, after you stare at a
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  Speaker 2: moving object for a while and then look at something
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  Speaker 2: station it can appear to move in the opposite direction.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I've experienced that. It's like your brain gets stuck
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  Speaker 1: in a particular mode of perception even when the stimulus changes.
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  Speaker 1: So what you're saying is our brains are constantly making
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  Speaker 1: predictions about the world around us, and sometimes those predictions
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  Speaker 1: lead to these weird perceptual glitches.
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  Speaker 2: That's a great way to put it. It highlights how
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  Speaker 2: our brains are always trying to anticipate what's coming next,
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  Speaker 2: to save energy and react quickly to potential threats.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I think we're just scratching the surface here, but
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  Speaker 1: I'm already starting to see the world in a whole
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  Speaker 1: new light.
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  Speaker 2: Welcome back to Beyond Infographics, where.
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  Speaker 1: We're continuing our journey into the sometimes strange and surprising
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  Speaker 1: workings of the human mind.
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  Speaker 2: Before the break, we were talking about how our brains
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  Speaker 2: actively construct our perceptions.
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  Speaker 1: And how that can lead to some really interesting visual illusions.
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  Speaker 2: Right, well, let's shift gears a bit and talk about
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  Speaker 2: another area where our brain's constructive nature comes into play. Memory.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so what's the mind trick when it comes to memory.
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  Speaker 2: It's called false memories, and it's the idea that we
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  Speaker 2: can remember things that never actually happened.
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  Speaker 1: Wait, seriously, you mean, like I could have a whole
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  Speaker 1: memory of an event that's completely made up.
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  Speaker 2: It might sound crazy, but it's true. Our memories aren't
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  Speaker 2: like video recordings. They're more like reconstructions, pieced together each
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  Speaker 2: time we will call them.
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  Speaker 1: So every time we remember something, we're essentially rewriting it
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  Speaker 1: a little bit in a way.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, and that rewriting process can be influenced by
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  Speaker 2: all sorts of factors, our current mood, suggestions from others,
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  Speaker 2: even the way questions are asked. There's this one psychological
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  Speaker 2: study where participants were shown a video of a car accident,
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  Speaker 2: oh okay, and then asked how fast the cars were
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  Speaker 2: going when they smashed into each other.
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  Speaker 1: I see.
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  Speaker 2: Those who are asked the question with the word smashed
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  Speaker 2: were more likely to report seeing broken glass in the video,
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  Speaker 2: even though there was none.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, that's kind of unsettling. Means we can't even fully
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  Speaker 1: trust our own memories.
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  Speaker 2: It's not that you can't trust them at all, but
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  Speaker 2: it's important to be aware that they're not always one
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  Speaker 2: hundred percent act. They can be incredibly malleable and susceptible
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  Speaker 2: to suggestion.
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  Speaker 1: This makes you think twice about eyewitness testimony, right, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: if our memories are so easily distorted, how can we
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  Speaker 1: rely on them in legal settings.
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  Speaker 2: That's a great point, and it's something that legal experts
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  Speaker 2: are increasingly grappling with. Eyewitness testimony can be powerful, but
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  Speaker 2: it's crucial to understand its limitations.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, well, this is definitely making me question everything I
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  Speaker 1: thought I knew about memory. So are there any other
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  Speaker 1: mind tricks related to this idea of our brains constructing reality?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely? Let's talk about the placebo effect. This is a
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  Speaker 2: fascinating phenomenon where our beliefs and expectations can actually have
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  Speaker 2: a real impact on our physical experiences.
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  Speaker 1: Isn't that like when someone takes a sugar pill thinking
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  Speaker 1: it's medicine and they actually start feeling better.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly. It's a testament to the power of our minds
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  Speaker 2: over our bodies. Yeah, when we believe something will have
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  Speaker 2: a certain effect, our brains can trigger physiological changes that
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  Speaker 2: align with that belief.
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  Speaker 1: So it's like our brains are saying, oh, okay, you
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  Speaker 1: think this pill will reduce your pain, let's make it
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  Speaker 1: happen precisely.
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  Speaker 2: And it's not just limited to pain relief. The placebo
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  Speaker 2: effect has been observed in a wide range of conditions,
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  Speaker 2: from depression to Parkinson's disease.
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  Speaker 1: That's incredible. So our beliefs and expectations can actually shape
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  Speaker 1: our physical reality to a certain extent.
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  Speaker 2: It seems so. It really highlights the interconnectedness of our
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  Speaker 2: minds and bodies.
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  Speaker 1: Speaking of interconnectedness, is there anything else that demonstrates how
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  Speaker 1: our brains are constantly shaping our experiences.
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's the priming effect. This is where exposure to
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  Speaker 2: one stimulus can influence our response to a subsequent related stimulus.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm intrigued. How does that work.
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  Speaker 2: Let's say you're reading a list of words related to
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  Speaker 2: old age, wrinkles, retirement, gray hair. Afterwards, you might find
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  Speaker 2: yourself walking a bit slower or thinking more about your
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  Speaker 2: own health.
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  Speaker 1: So just encountering those words primed my brain to think
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  Speaker 1: about aging, which then influenced my behavior exactly.
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  Speaker 2: It's like our brains are creating these subtle associations that
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  Speaker 2: shape our perceptions and actions without us even realizing it.
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  Speaker 2: Another study involved two groups of participants. One group was
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  Speaker 2: asked unscrambled sentences containing words related to rudeness, while the
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  Speaker 2: other group got sentences with neutral words. Afterward, the participants
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  Speaker 2: who were primed with rudeness were more likely to interrupt
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  Speaker 2: the experimenter.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, that's amazing. It really shows how easily our brains
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  Speaker 1: can be influenced by subtle cues, and it.
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  Speaker 2: Speaks to the power of our unconscious mind, which is
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  Speaker 2: constantly processing information and shaping our experiences in ways we're
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  Speaker 2: often unaware of.
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  Speaker 1: It's mind blowing stuff, for sure. Before we move on,
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  Speaker 1: I want to remind our listeners that if you're enjoying
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: this deep dive into the human mind, be sure to
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: give us a five star rating. It helps other curious
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: minds find the show.
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  Speaker 2: We appreciate your support. Now let's delve into another fascinating
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  Speaker 2: aspect of the mind, our tendency to focus on the negative.
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  Speaker 1: Ah, you're talking about the negativity bias, right, I think
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  Speaker 1: we could all use a little less negativity in our lives.
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  Speaker 2: I agree. Unfortunately, our brains are wired to prioritize negative
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  Speaker 2: experiences over positive ones. It's an evolutionary hangover from our ancestors,
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  Speaker 2: who needed to be extra vigilant about potential threats.
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  Speaker 1: So our brains are basically programmed to focus on the
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  Speaker 1: bad stuff. It kind of explains why bad news always
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  Speaker 1: seems to travel faster than good news.
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  Speaker 2: It makes sense from a survival perspective. Back then, it
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  Speaker 2: was more important to avoid danger than to seek out pleasure.
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  Speaker 2: But in today's world it can lead to a lot
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  Speaker 2: of unnecessary stress and anxiety.
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  Speaker 1: So how do we combat this negativity bias? Is it
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  Speaker 1: even possible to rewire our brains to be more positive?
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  Speaker 2: It's not about rewiring, but about becoming aware of this
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  Speaker 2: bias and making a conscious effort to focus on the
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  Speaker 2: positive aspects of our lives. Gratitude practices, mindfulness, and surrounding
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  Speaker 2: yourself with positive people can all help shift your perspective.
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  Speaker 1: I love that shifting our perspective. It seems like that's
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  Speaker 1: a key takeaway from this whole episode. The more we
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  Speaker 1: understand about these mental shortcuts and biases, the more we
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  Speaker 1: can take control of our thoughts and actions.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, knowledge is power, especially when it comes to understanding
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  Speaker 2: our own mind.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, folks, we've covered a lot of ground today, but
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  Speaker 1: we're not done yet. We'll be back after a short
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  Speaker 1: break to explore even more mind boggling insights about how
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  Speaker 1: our brains work. Stay tuned, Welcome back to Beyond Infographics, where.
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  Speaker 2: We're wrapping up our exploration of the mind's fascinating quirks.
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  Speaker 1: Before the break, we were discussing the negativity bias.
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  Speaker 2: That tendency to dwell on the negative, you know, which
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  Speaker 2: makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.
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  Speaker 1: Right. It was probably helpful for survival back then, but
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  Speaker 1: now it just makes us, you know, worry more exactly.
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  Speaker 2: So let's shift skiers and talk about some other mental
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  Speaker 2: shortcuts that influence our decisions.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, what do you have for us?
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's the availability heuristic. It's a way our brains
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  Speaker 2: make quick judgments based on how easily we can recall
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  Speaker 2: similar examples.
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  Speaker 1: So if I just watched a documentary about tornadoes, I
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  Speaker 1: might suddenly think they're more common than they actually are.
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  Speaker 2: Precisely vivid or recent experiences can skew our perception of risk,
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  Speaker 2: even if they're statistically rare.
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  Speaker 1: That explains why people are often more afraid of flying
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  Speaker 1: than driving, even though statistically flying is much safer.
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  Speaker 2: The impact of a single plane crash, even if it's
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  Speaker 2: incredibly rare, tends to stick with us more than the
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  Speaker 2: countless safe flights we never hear about.
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  Speaker 1: Interesting, So we need to be mindful of how easily
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  Speaker 1: accessible memories can warp our judgment.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. Now, let's talk about another way our decisions could
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  Speaker 2: be influenced, the framing effect.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm all ears. What is that?
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  Speaker 2: It's the idea that the way information is presented can
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  Speaker 2: dramatically affect our choices, even if the underlying facts are
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  Speaker 2: the same.
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  Speaker 1: Can you give me an example.
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  Speaker 2: Imagine you're presented with two options for surgery. One doctor
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  Speaker 2: says it has a ninety percent success rate, while another
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  Speaker 2: says it has a ten percent failure rate.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, those are the same odds, just worded differently exactly.
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  Speaker 2: But studies show that people are more likely to choose
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  Speaker 2: the surgery when it's framed as having a ninety percent
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  Speaker 2: success rate.
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  Speaker 1: Huh. It's amazing how much our brains are influenced by
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  Speaker 1: seemingly small things like wording.
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  Speaker 2: We like to think we're rational, but our decisions are
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  Speaker 2: often driven by emotional responses and subconscious biases.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm starting to feel like I can't trust my
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  Speaker 1: own brain. What other traps do we need to watch
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  Speaker 1: out for.
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  Speaker 2: Let's talk about the sunk cost fallacy. This is our
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  Speaker 2: tendency to stick with something even if it's not working
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  Speaker 2: out simply because we've already invested time, money, or effort
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  Speaker 2: into it.
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  Speaker 1: So like staying in a relationship that's clearly not going
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  Speaker 1: anywhere just because you've been together for five years.
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  Speaker 2: We're continuing to pour money into a failing business venture
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  Speaker 2: because you've already sunk so much capital into it.
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  Speaker 1: I think we've all been there at some point. It's
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  Speaker 1: hard to let go of something we've invested in, even
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  Speaker 1: if it's not serving us anymore.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the key is to focus on the future, not
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  Speaker 2: the past. Ask yourself, if I were starting fresh today,
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  Speaker 2: would I make the same choice. If the answer is no,
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  Speaker 2: it might be time to cut your losses and move on.
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  Speaker 1: Well, this has been an incredibly insightful conversation. I feel
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  Speaker 1: like I have a whole new understanding of how my mind.
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  Speaker 2: Works, and that's really the first step to making more
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  Speaker 2: conscious and informed decisions.
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  Speaker 1: Well said, I want to thank you for joining me
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  Speaker 1: on this deep dive into the world of mind tricks.
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  Speaker 2: It's been my pleasure.
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  Speaker 1: And to all our listeners out there, remember to give
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  Speaker 1: us a five star rating if you enjoyed the episode.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: It really helps us spread the word and keep the conversations.
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  Speaker 2: Going until next time, keep those mind sharp
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  Speaker 1: And remember your brain might be playing tricks on you,
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  Speaker 1: but you can outsmart it.