The Brain Is a Liar

“The problem with our sensory world is that we put so much faith in it. We believe that we experience the world as it is, and that our sensations are an accurate summary of reality.” Not only are our perceptions of the world around us often inaccurate, but we typically remain ignorant of our mistakes even when presented with evidence of faulty perceptions. The Frontal Cortex comments on two studies that demonstrate the willful way in which we misunderstand the world and the choices we make: “Although we’re convinced that we’re living in an Ingres canvas—full of exquisite detail and verisimilitude—we actually inhabit a post-impressionist painting, rife with empty spaces and abstraction. It’s a world so full of ambiguities that it requires constant interpretation.”