Why Mac Page Two

Why Mac?: 2 of 11

What is "Perceptive Ignorance"?

Despite the incredible variety of human cultures that coexist on our planet, I'm absolutely convinced that each and every person shares one very annoying trait: We always have to be right.

Wait! Give that sentence a moment to sink in. There. Now, let me guess. You think I'm wrong, don't you? Although you can quickly name a few people who fit that description, YOU most certainly do not exhibit that horrible trait, do you?

OK, let me you ask you this: "What did you think about the moment you read that offensive statement. I can guarantee your mind started racing - caught up in its own little conversation. It probably went something like this: "Who, me? You're saying I always have to be right? That's not true! I hate people like that! My friends hate people like that, too. After all, you're talking about a very undesirable trait! That simply doesn't apply to me. You're wrong, Don! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!"

THAT, my friends, is exactly what I'm talking about. In only a few seconds, you were able to convince yourself that I was wrong and you were - let's say it together - RIGHT!

Now, before we go any further, let me assure you I already know some people who read this page won't accept what it says. That's fine. If you're one of those people, I invite you to click on any of the cute little buttons over there on the left. You'll immediately be whisked away to safer territory! If, on the other hand, you wish to continue reading about this intriguing subject, let me first offer an apology. Simply explaining this subject usually requires several hours of conversation. Understanding how it actually works might require several DAYS. So, in this environment, we'll be taking a few shortcuts. Ready? On we go!

Why do we always want to be right?

Actually, we don't. The real problem is our overwhelming fear that we might be WRONG. If we're wrong, people will laugh at us, insult us, or make fun of us. They might call us dumb, foolish, tacky, irresponsible, naive, uneducated, or just plain weird. We don't want that! We want our peers (only the "right" kind of people, of course) to like us. We want them to respect us, approve of the decisions we make, and admire our success and intelligence. We want to fit in with the crowd.

That's why we devote so much of our time to being, doing, having or saying whatever we think will make us RIGHT. We want to marry the RIGHT spouse. (We even call them "Mr. or Ms. Right.") Find the RIGHT job. Drive the RIGHT car. Say and do the RIGHT things! Socialize with the RIGHT people. Send our kids to the RIGHT schools. Wear the RIGHT fashions. Project the RIGHT image. And, most important of all, convince others that we have the RIGHT opinion, or the RIGHT solution to any particular problem.

You might be saying, "So what? There's nothing wrong with wanting people to respect my opinions, or agree with my decisions." Well, my friend, there are four very important things you need to know about your basic human need to be "right."

First: What YOU define as "right" isn't always what someone else defines as "right." (Democrat vs. Republican. Labor vs. Management. Mac vs. Wintel.) It's just your OPINION. And what are opinions? They are the conclusions we've made after considering everything we've ever seen, heard, read, touched, smelled, tasted, felt, thought or experienced. Problem is, since no two people have shared the same experiences, no two people can have exactly the same set of opinions.

Second: Some of our opinions are so powerful in our lives that WE FORGET THEY ARE ONLY OPINIONS! Examples might include what we know about ourselves, what we think about other people, and what we've come to accept about the way things are in the world.

These are things we call the TRUTH. The beliefs that, deep in our hearts, we KNOW are undeniably RIGHT. They're not open to any discussion or debate. Anyone who disagrees with us is WRONG!

Third: Once we form an opinion on a particular subject (especially if we accept it as the TRUTH), we tend to defend it... violently in some cases. Every argument, disagreement, fight and WAR in human history can be explained using a single phrase: "Two or more people defending their own opinions of what is RIGHT."

Fourth: Our existing opinions and truths create a unique and personal set of "screens" that we use to "filter" everything around us and everything we experience. (To use computer terms, let's call this "new input.") If the new input "agrees" with our opinions, it is immediately allowed to pass through our screens and accepted as further proof that our opinions are correct.

But, when new input DOES NOT agree with our screens (contradicts our current opinion), it is either dismissed as irrelevant, permanently labeled as a falsehood, or twisted around until it matches our existing opinion - all in an effort to perpetuate our belief of what is right. (This, by the way, is the mechanism that makes consumers ignore roughly 90% of all advertising.)

Need an example? Imagine that someone you know has "wronged" you in the past. Let's say it's a coworker who once took credit for one of your ideas. So, now you KNOW he can't be trusted.

How would you react if that guy suddenly did something "nice" for you? Would you think to yourself, "Gosh, that sure was a nice gesture. Maybe I've been wrong about him all these years."

Not a chance! Because you already have a "he can't be trusted" screen in place, I'll bet your response would be more like this: "Sure, he did a nice thing, but it didn't require much effort." (Dismissed.) "He's never been nice before, so he must have some ulterior motive." (Labeled as a falsehood.) "Hmm, I'll bet he just did this to get into my office and see what I'm working on, so he can steal my ideas again. I'd better keep my eye on him." ("Screened" to match the existing opinion.)

You may have heard this explained elsewhere as "Seeing what you WANT to see," or "Hearing what you EXPECT to hear." But my favorite summary is an adaptation of a popular cliche: "Seeing isn't believing, BELIEVING IS SEEING"!

And that's what it's all about!

That's the "5-Minute" version of the theory I refer to as "Perceptive Ignorance." Why this title? Because it perfectly defines how our minds deal with everything we see, hear, read, touch, smell, taste, feel and think: We ignore (dismiss, argue against or quickly redefine) anything that doesn't fit our existing perceptions. Stated another way, we see and hear exactly what we WANT or EXPECT to see and hear!

Surely you can see how this might have a negative impact on personal communications, or your company's marketing efforts. But, can you see how it impacts our decisions about buying the RIGHT computer? Think about it. If we accept the theory of "Perceptive Ignorance," we might assume that each and every person:

Already has an opinion about which is the right computer to own,

Believes, deep in their heart, that their opinion is correct,

Will eagerly defend their opinion, and the choices they've made, and

Will quickly disagree with anything that contradicts their opinion, by dismissing it as unimportant, claiming that it is a blatant lie, or quickly "twisting" it's meaning into something totally different.

Doesn't that PERFECTLY define the great "Mac vs. Wintel" debate. You bet it does! But, here's your chance to escape the trap that exists in your mind. This is your golden opportunity to push aside any existing "filters" you have about computers - just for a moment - and analyze a few facts and figures that you might otherwise want to ignore or argue against. If you can do it, the following pages are full of logical, rational, intelligent reasons why you might consider choosing a Macintosh.

If you can't... well... at least you'll be able to sleep tonight, confident in the knowledge that you are still absolutely RIGHT. ;-)

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Copyright 1998, 5-Minute Mac Consulting, Wampum, Pennsylvania, USA

Why Mac?: 2 of 11
What is "Perceptive Ignorance"? Despite the incredible variety of human cultures that coexist on our planet, I'm absolutely convinced that each and every person shares one very annoying trait: We always have to be right. Wait! Give that sentence a moment to sink in. There. Now, let me guess. You think I'm wrong, don't you? Although you can quickly name a few people who fit that description, YOU most certainly do not exhibit that horrible trait, do you? OK, let me you ask you this: "What did you think about the moment you read that offensive statement. I can guarantee your mind started racing - caught up in its own little conversation. It probably went something like this: "Who, me? You're saying I always have to be right? That's not true! I hate people like that! My friends hate people like that, too. After all, you're talking about a very undesirable trait! That simply doesn't apply to me. You're wrong, Don! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!" THAT, my friends, is exactly what I'm talking about. In only a few seconds, you were able to convince yourself that I was wrong and you were - let's say it together - RIGHT! Now, before we go any further, let me assure you I already know some people who read this page won't accept what it says. That's fine. If you're one of those people, I invite you to click on any of the cute little buttons over there on the left. You'll immediately be whisked away to safer territory! If, on the other hand, you wish to continue reading about this intriguing subject, let me first offer an apology. Simply explaining this subject usually requires several hours of conversation. Understanding how it actually works might require several DAYS. So, in this environment, we'll be taking a few shortcuts. Ready? On we go! Why do we always want to be right? Actually, we don't. The real problem is our overwhelming fear that we might be WRONG. If we're wrong, people will laugh at us, insult us, or make fun of us. They might call us dumb, foolish, tacky, irresponsible, naive, uneducated, or just plain weird. We don't want that! We want our peers (only the "right" kind of people, of course) to like us. We want them to respect us, approve of the decisions we make, and admire our success and intelligence. We want to fit in with the crowd. That's why we devote so much of our time to being, doing, having or saying whatever we think will make us RIGHT. We want to marry the RIGHT spouse. (We even call them "Mr. or Ms. Right.") Find the RIGHT job. Drive the RIGHT car. Say and do the RIGHT things! Socialize with the RIGHT people. Send our kids to the RIGHT schools. Wear the RIGHT fashions. Project the RIGHT image. And, most important of all, convince others that we have the RIGHT opinion, or the RIGHT solution to any particular problem. You might be saying, "So what? There's nothing wrong with wanting people to respect my opinions, or agree with my decisions." Well, my friend, there are four very important things you need to know about your basic human need to be "right." First: What YOU define as "right" isn't always what someone else defines as "right." (Democrat vs. Republican. Labor vs. Management. Mac vs. Wintel.) It's just your OPINION. And what are opinions? They are the conclusions we've made after considering everything we've ever seen, heard, read, touched, smelled, tasted, felt, thought or experienced. Problem is, since no two people have shared the same experiences, no two people can have exactly the same set of opinions. Second: Some of our opinions are so powerful in our lives that WE FORGET THEY ARE ONLY OPINIONS! Examples might include what we know about ourselves, what we think about other people, and what we've come to accept about the way things are in the world. These are things we call the TRUTH. The beliefs that, deep in our hearts, we KNOW are undeniably RIGHT. They're not open to any discussion or debate. Anyone who disagrees with us is WRONG! Third: Once we form an opinion on a particular subject (especially if we accept it as the TRUTH), we tend to defend it... violently in some cases. Every argument, disagreement, fight and WAR in human history can be explained using a single phrase: "Two or more people defending their own opinions of what is RIGHT." Fourth: Our existing opinions and truths create a unique and personal set of "screens" that we use to "filter" everything around us and everything we experience. (To use computer terms, let's call this "new input.") If the new input "agrees" with our opinions, it is immediately allowed to pass through our screens and accepted as further proof that our opinions are correct. But, when new input DOES NOT agree with our screens (contradicts our current opinion), it is either dismissed as irrelevant, permanently labeled as a falsehood, or twisted around until it matches our existing opinion - all in an effort to perpetuate our belief of what is right. (This, by the way, is the mechanism that makes consumers ignore roughly 90% of all advertising.) Need an example? Imagine that someone you know has "wronged" you in the past. Let's say it's a coworker who once took credit for one of your ideas. So, now you KNOW he can't be trusted. How would you react if that guy suddenly did something "nice" for you? Would you think to yourself, "Gosh, that sure was a nice gesture. Maybe I've been wrong about him all these years." Not a chance! Because you already have a "he can't be trusted" screen in place, I'll bet your response would be more like this: "Sure, he did a nice thing, but it didn't require much effort." (Dismissed.) "He's never been nice before, so he must have some ulterior motive." (Labeled as a falsehood.) "Hmm, I'll bet he just did this to get into my office and see what I'm working on, so he can steal my ideas again. I'd better keep my eye on him." ("Screened" to match the existing opinion.) You may have heard this explained elsewhere as "Seeing what you WANT to see," or "Hearing what you EXPECT to hear." But my favorite summary is an adaptation of a popular cliche: "Seeing isn't believing, BELIEVING IS SEEING"! And that's what it's all about! That's the "5-Minute" version of the theory I refer to as "Perceptive Ignorance." Why this title? Because it perfectly defines how our minds deal with everything we see, hear, read, touch, smell, taste, feel and think: We ignore (dismiss, argue against or quickly redefine) anything that doesn't fit our existing perceptions. Stated another way, we see and hear exactly what we WANT or EXPECT to see and hear! Surely you can see how this might have a negative impact on personal communications, or your company's marketing efforts. But, can you see how it impacts our decisions about buying the RIGHT computer? Think about it. If we accept the theory of "Perceptive Ignorance," we might assume that each and every person: Already has an opinion about which is the right computer to own, Believes, deep in their heart, that their opinion is correct, Will eagerly defend their opinion, and the choices they've made, and Will quickly disagree with anything that contradicts their opinion, by dismissing it as unimportant, claiming that it is a blatant lie, or quickly "twisting" it's meaning into something totally different. Doesn't that PERFECTLY define the great "Mac vs. Wintel" debate. You bet it does! But, here's your chance to escape the trap that exists in your mind. This is your golden opportunity to push aside any existing "filters" you have about computers - just for a moment - and analyze a few facts and figures that you might otherwise want to ignore or argue against. If you can do it, the following pages are full of logical, rational, intelligent reasons why you might consider choosing a Macintosh. If you can't... well... at least you'll be able to sleep tonight, confident in the knowledge that you are still absolutely RIGHT. ;-)
BACK		NEXT

HOME . SERVICES . HELP DESK . RESOURCES . WHY MAC . CREDENTIALS
Copyright 1998, 5-Minute Mac Consulting, Wampum, Pennsylvania, USA