Our inner weighing of evidence is not a careful mathematical calculation resulting in a probabilistic estimate of truth, but more like a whirlpool blending of the objective and the personal. The result is a set of beliefs - both conscious and unconscious - that guide us in interpreting all the events of our lives.
Leonard MlodinowSays Bargh: "We all hold dear idea that weยดre the captain of our own sould, and weยดre in charge, and itยดs a very scary feeling when we are not. In fact, thatยดs what psychosis is - the feeling of detachment from reality and that you are not in control, and thatยดs a very frightening feeling for anyone."
Leonard MlodinowOne thing that feeds into the way you experience the social world is your mood - and one thing that affects your mood is the weather.
Leonard MlodinowWhen we are in the grasp of illusion - or, for that matter, whenever we have a new idea - instead of searching for ways to prove our ideas wrong, we usually attempt to prove them correct. Psychologists call this the confirmation bias, and it presents a major impediment of our ability to break free from the misinterpretation of randomness.
Leonard MlodinowWe judge people and initiatives by their results, and we expect events to happen for good, understandable reason. But our clear visions of inevitability are often only illusions.
Leonard MlodinowWe also use our imagination and take shortcuts to fill gaps in patterns of nonvisual data. As with visual input, we draw conclusions and make judgments based on uncertain and incomplete information, and we conclude, when we are done analyzing the patterns, that out picture is clear and accurate. But is it?
Leonard Mlodinow