Our Mental Models of Reality Are Not Reality

It's easy to rely on our mental models of the world too heavily. Here's how to recognize their limits and avoid being led astray.

Our human ability to generalize sets us apart from organic and emerging synthetic life. Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

One of our human superpowers is that we can generalize. We can recognize patterns and predict the future in a way that other animals can’t. However, we cripple ourselves when we allow our mental models to replace reality instead of testing our mental models against reality.

Godel, Escher, Bach can be difficult to read, because Douglas Hofstadter uses so many recursive stories to illustrate self-reference, isomorphism, and perceptions of meaning.

As fun as the book is to explore, Godel, Escher, Bach is a warning about how limited our minds are and how susceptible we are to replacing reality with make-believe worlds and rules that translate poorly to lived experience.