[The Knowledge Project Ep. #154] Emily Balcetis: Setting and Achieving Goals

Shane: Our eyes are incredible tools for shaping the world. However, they create a perception gap between what we see and what is. In your book, you wrote,

We think we see the world the way it actually is. We think that when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we see our face the same way others do. We believe that when we peer down the street in front of us, we know what we’ll pass by on our journey. We are certain that when we scan the food on our plate, we see what it is we’ll be eating. But none of this is always true. Instead, our visual experiences are often misrepresentations. We form an imperfect impression and our eager mind fills in the gaps, putting in place the missing pieces.