Deviate

"What you see is not reality—it’s your brain’s best guess at what reality could be." This book challenges how we perceive the world and offers a guide to see it differently.

1. Perception is Not Reality

Our perception of the world is merely an interpretation, not the unvarnished truth. The famous “blue and black or white and gold dress” debate exemplifies this. Millions discovered how the same object could be experienced so differently. This oddity goes beyond visual illusions and enters everyday experiences, like the feeling of backward motion when a neighboring train starts moving even as you stand still.

Our senses, although vital, are prone to deception. The way light, sound, and touch are interpreted by the brain isn't fixed or perfect. A classic optical illusion, where identical shaded circles appear different due to surrounding colors, proves this. Reality often takes a back seat to our brain's contextual guesses.

Thankfully, these distortions aren’t always harmful. In fact, they’ve evolved to help humans survive. Our brains prioritize stimuli that might signal danger or opportunity, often leaving out irrelevant details to simplify decision-making.

Examples

• The “dress” viral debate showcased how differently people interpret the same visual information.
• Feeling like you're moving backward when the adjacent train begins moving highlights a sensory misfire.
• Optical illusions, like varying circle shades, reveal gaps between actual data and brain interpretation.

2. Data Needs Context

Your brain doesn’t just collect data; it creates meaning out of it. Imagine photons from sunlight hitting your retina. They’re meaningless until the brain processes them into the beautiful colors of a sunset. Without interpretation, information is simply noise.

Our brains have evolved to simplify this deluge of inputs by filtering only what’s essential. We see visible light, sense particular smells, and hear specific frequencies—just enough for survival while leaving out irrelevant details.

Even context determines meaning. A human smile, for instance, carries different messages based on the scenario—joy during a happy moment, or nervousness during a tense conversation. Without understanding these nuances, events seem disjointed or unclear.

Examples

• Vibrant photons from sunsets transform into colors only because of the brain's interpretation process.
• Filters like “visible light” sharpen survival but leave the broader electromagnetic spectrum unchecked.
• A smiling face can signal happiness, mockery, or nervousness depending on the environment.

3. Learning Requires Engagement

Ben Anderson, a boy who became blind at age three, demonstrated how interacting uniquely with the environment could reveal new ways to perceive the world. Using echolocation, by clicking his tongue and listening to echoes, Ben essentially "saw" through sound.

Our brains are adaptable. With every interaction, they create new neural pathways. Experiments involving rats showed that those exposed to dynamic, varied surroundings had better brain development than those kept in static, dull environments.

Even humans can develop new "senses" through learning. For instance, research participants wearing vibrating belts mimicking magnetic north quickly enhanced their spatial awareness. The more we engage with the world, the more our brains evolve and grow.

Examples

• Ben Anderson adapted to blindness by learning echolocation, proving our brains' flexibility.
• Rats in enriched environments developed denser neural connections compared to those left in empty cages.
• People wearing magnetic north belts improved their navigation and spatial perception.

4. Context Shapes Meaning

In Paris in the 1820s, nobles complained that yarn colors appeared dull at home compared to vivid showroom tapestries. Chemist Michel Chevreul found the yarn wasn’t defective; colors seemed duller out of context. The vibrant combinations in tapestries, not the thread itself, created a striking impression.

Every experience is framed by context—both present and past. This idea even affects language perception. English speakers distinguish “R” and “L” sounds easily, but Japanese speakers often struggle since their language doesn’t separate the sounds.

Additionally, context allows for quick adjustments. For instance, subtle typos are often overlooked when reading because our minds fill in gaps based on expectations.

Examples

• Tapestry colors seemed richer in showrooms, not because of better wool, but due to visual contrasts.
• Japanese speakers initially struggle to differentiate "R" and "L" sounds due to their linguistic context.
• Typos in text are often ignored since our brains use surrounding words for meaning.

5. Mindful Imagination Changes Perception

Art like Kazimir Malevich’s simple black square demonstrates how meaning lies not in objects themselves, but in what our minds project onto them. A square of paint becomes art because viewers assign deeper meaning to it.

Conscious thought can also shift physical perception. Simple experiments using flipbooks showcase this ability. A spinning diamond can appear to revolve in opposite directions depending on how you choose to imagine it.

Day-to-day life reveals similar unconscious processes. A steep hill looks steeper when someone is tired, and poor kids see coins as larger and more valuable than wealthy ones. Our views often mirror our emotional and physical states.

Examples

• Malevich’s Black Square points to how we create deeper meanings mentally through imagination.
• Flipbooks with spinning images change direction based on the observer's intended perception.
• Hills seem steeper or coins appear larger based on exhaustion or personal need.

6. Assumptions Can Both Guide and Blind Us

Our thinking relies heavily on prior knowledge, but assumptions sometimes mislead. For instance, in 2014, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh defied many to quarantine a Liberian man suspected of carrying Ebola. Her assumption that isolation was critical despite external pressures saved countless lives.

However, assumptions often blind us to new possibilities. When faced with a problem, we may keep failing because we don't question the premises of our approach. This can limit solutions and creativity.

By pausing and reevaluating, we can uncover flawed beliefs. Reflecting on how assumptions guide choices allows for flexibility when our expectations fail in uncharted situations.

Examples

• Dr. Adadevoh’s understanding of Ebola risk led her to quarantine the patient, saving lives.
• A recurring failure to solve puzzles like Dunker’s Candle happens when assumptions block alternative solutions.
• Reflecting on thought patterns helps uncover misguiding biases.

7. Unlearn to Innovate

Inverting the bike's handlebars to steer left while moving right sounds simple but requires unlearning ingrained habits to ride it successfully. Even expert cyclists found this challenging, revealing how rigid our knowledge can become.

Breaking free of old patterns is essential for creativity. Think of Jean-François Champollion, who decoded Egyptian hieroglyphs by rejecting the assumption they represented images. His leap of thought paved the way for understanding an ancient language.

Every assumption we unlearn opens new ground for invention, showing how entrenched beliefs often prevent progress.

Examples

• The Backwards Brain Cycle bike demonstrates the complexity of unlearning assumptions around simple tasks.
• Champollion cracked hieroglyphs by challenging the assumption they conveyed images instead of sounds.
• Trial and error can slowly dismantle restrictive assumptions, leading to creativity.

8. Growth Happens in Uncertainty

Fear of the unknown stems from evolutionary roots. Early humans who avoided mysterious threats survived. Fast forward, and humans still avoid uncertainty in modern contexts, often choosing discomfort over ambiguity.

However, discoveries happen when uncertainty is embraced. If people hold space for possibilities before reacting emotionally, they find alternate interpretations. A stranger who bumps into you might be clumsy rather than rude.

Courage to explore uncertainty reveals not only answers but also creativity. An open-minded attitude encourages new thought patterns and solutions.

Examples

• People handle guaranteed electric shocks with less stress compared to uncertain outcomes.
• Taking time before labeling a behavior (like being bumped) often changes interpretations.
• Discoveries of berries or other resources historically began with curiosity overcoming uncertainty.

9. Play Fuels Invention

True innovation is an exploratory process without rigid goals. Researchers studying cockroach movement stumbled upon mechanical designs that inspired military robots. They didn’t have precise innovations in mind when starting.

Playful curiosity feeds trial and error, encouraging variety in experimentation. Later, refining these raw ideas filters out weak points. This creative cycle mirrors nature’s evolution: random mutation followed by selection.

Artists, researchers, and engineers alike benefit from this method. Starting free from expectations opens doors to inspiration before moving toward efficiency.

Examples

• Cockroach movement studies led to developing the RHex combat-zone robot.
• Blue-sky thinking allows scientists and creatives alike to explore without boundaries.
• Nature’s evolutionary process of mutation followed by selection mirrors the same creative path.

Takeaways

1. Pause before reactions—embrace uncertainty to allow different interpretations of situations.
2. Engage with diverse environments; novelty strengthens your brain's flexibility and creativity.
3. Question assumptions, big and small, to open new ways of solving problems and seeing the world.