# Instinctual Limits By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-11-28 Our brains are great at telling stories and filling in gaps. A movie is a series of images, but our brain stitches them together to give the illusion of movement. We see birds flying together in a flock, and we assume one of the birds is the leader. You've had a run of bad [[luck]] ever since you broke that mirror five years ago. Everywhere we look, our brains instinctually fill in the gaps. This has led to humanity's rise because we can test things out and predict possible futures. However, we've progressed at such a rate that we've outpaced our brain's ability to keep everything straight. There is too much information and complexity to process efficiently. We quickly revert to our base instinct of simplistic storytelling instead of embracing the complexity and limits of these instincts. These instincts are a good servant, but a horrible master. It is common to think that a global issue is caused by some poor global system or ideology. If only this one thing changed, the global issue would go away. For example, if everyone stopped being racist, the world would be rid of racist behaviors. This is a simplistic story we are telling ourselves. These systems are much more complex, and the causes are likely things our brain does not naturally see or think about. Our brain sees segregated neighborhoods and poverty, but it does not see the billions of interactions and human preferences that resulted in these emergent outcomes. It is good to outlaw segregation, but to think the underlying cause and future behaviors are so easily resolved is a work of fiction. You must take a closer look at what your brain does not see. You must think about the interactions, preferences, and internal workings of humans, systems, and organizations. In short, you must analyze further and deeper, and we must do it together. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Thinking]] [[Cognitive Biases]] [[Systems Thinking]] [[Complexity]]