PSYCHOLOGY
psychology
perception
attention
brain
Baader-Meinhof: The Frequency Illusion
You buy a red car, and suddenly you see red cars everywhere. The world didn't change; your attention did.
Psychology• 5 min read
Selective Attention
Our brains filter out 99% of information. When you learn a new word or buy a new item, your brain flags it as "important." Suddenly, that thing pops up everywhere. This is the Frequency Illusion.
It's Not a Sign
It feels like a coincidence or a cosmic sign ("The universe is speaking to me!"). It's mostly just your Reticular Activating System (RAS) doing its job.