Research from Harvard’s Daniel Gilbert reveals our brains process over 11 million bits of information per second, but we’re only consciously aware of about 40 bits. We’re not seeing reality – we’re seeing our filtered version of it.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes,” Marcel Proust observed. His insight aligns with modern neuroscience, showing how our past experiences and beliefs shape our perceptions.
The most successful individuals understand this cognitive bias. They regularly step back and ask: “What am I not seeing?” McKinsey’s research on leadership blindspots found that 68% of organizational failures stem from leaders’ inability to recognize their perceptual limitations.
If you’re sure about a situation, consider that you might be more certain about your filters than the facts themselves.
